Chapter 15: Archived or Mega Sites
As with the FTP sites we looked at in Chapter 10, this section is devoted to listing cool mega sites that archive tons of shareware, freeware, and game demos across all genres. In most cases there is a lot more available at these huge gaming emporiums than just games themselves: add-on levels/scenarios, hints or walkthroughs (complete solutions), patches (game "fixes" or updates), cheats, codes, links (related Web sites), chat groups, screen shots, maps (if applicable), movies, slide shows, news, previews, interviews, and reviews-all under one roof! Some of these sites may also be listed here because they do not fit into any one specific category. Note that many of these pages are mirrored at other locations; that is, more than one computer contains the exact Web site elsewhere, and you should choose the URL closer to you since it will be faster to access. What shopping malls did for individual stores is what these mega sites did with all specific categories of gaming and game accessories. The success and longevity of many of these Web pages prove that convenience and selection go a long way for us online gamers.
3D Gaming Scene, The
http://www.pol.umu.se/html/ac/spel.htmA massive site honoring the latest trend in action PC entertainment-3D, first-person perspective gaming. Spend hours here downloading demos and shareware or accessing hints, cheats, and codes for all your favorite shooters. You may preview upcoming 3D games complete with screen shots and descriptions. A What's New section and a broad link list is also worth browsing through. For more information, read the 3D Gaming Scene FAQ at http://www.pol.umu.se/html/ac/faq/3dfaq.htm.
Absolutely Games!
http://www.clicked.com/shareware/games/allgames.htmlA collection of over 350 shareware and demo games are offered here to download. A simple yet organized list of games is laid out alphabetically for a painless search of current hits and past classics. If you don't have time to download or wish to keep it off your hard drive you may visit the Java or Shockwave Arcades available. A jump to the hottest 20 titles, or best sports games, is also just a click away. Part of the Clicked.comtm family of Web sites, Absolutely Games! is a convenient gaming site but you'll probably spend more time in the real-time interactive arcade than in the downloadable section as there are many other more worthy shareware Web sites to visit.
Abstract Funhouse, The
http://starcreations.com/abstract/funhouse/index.htm
Let Psycho the Clown (the official mascot of the Funhouse) take you through the various sections such as the Game Downer (links to live games [almost 100!]), interactive real-time games [Shockwave, Java], and games which you have to download first), the Laugh Riot page for comedy links, and Kidzweb-gaming pages for children ages 3 to 9. Good site for the novice or advanced gamer.
All Good Things
http://www.bf.rmit.edu.au/~blee/agt.htmlAll Good Things (AGT) is designed to give the gamer just what it sounds like-only the best of Internet shareware and game demos. Classics such as Doom, Warcraft, Magic Carpet, and NASCAR racing are provided for download, along with newer hits such as D, Quake, Command & Conquer, and Close Combat. A section entitled "Close But No Cigar" gives an interesting, and often humorous, look on popular games that didn't make AGT's "A" list and why.
Apolon's Software
http://www.netcom.com/~apolon/index.htmlA host of downloadable PC and Mac titles, a Top 10 (with product descriptions), utilities, a space for independent programmers, Java-based games chat area, and a links collection. Apolon's page is littered with graphics of hot titles and their demo section has a handy letter bar ("click on the first letter of the game") or you can follow along alphabetically.
Arcadium
http://game.factory.net/Upon free registration you are invited to partake in the many discussion forums and chat groups offered to "hard-core" PC or console gamers. There are also posting and voting areas, online surveys and profiles, Mac games, Internet games, and other exclusive features. Arcadium is very modern looking site that has some pretty serious gaming reviews, screen/product shots, and links. Oddly enough no demos or shareware are available for download, so if you read or chat with someone about a game you may be interested in you will have to go elsewhere on the Net in order to try it out for yourself. Be forewarned: Travel time within the Arcadium site has proven slow and loading between pages is tediously high.
Asterix Game Page
http://members.tripod.com/~game29/A clever and well-designed page but be patient for the long loading time. An icon-based graphic front page allows the gamer to choose his/her operating system (OS). A list of online games, cheat codes, demos, links, a voter's corner, and a problem-solving page can all be found here. Once inside your desired OS, each game genre is alphabetically listed and the number of games per category are shown. A noteworthy section has cool computer game previews (non-playable demos and screen shots) from some of the hot games due out in the future. Other utilities and miscellaneous software can also be downloaded.
Cheat Machine
http://www.sliceoflife.com/official/Aforest/CM.HTMCheat Machine is a program of cheats for various PC games and is updated monthly. Cheat Machine will either tell you how to cheat in a given game (codes or actions), or it will change your game files automatically. It is free but the registered version includes a program to allow you to develop and write your own cheats. Cheat Machine has one of the biggest collections of cheats, codes, patches, tips, secrets, and hints for cheating on shareware or commercial PC games.
Cheat Page, The
http://members.aol.com/formula73/webpg/cheats.htmAre Orcs getting to you? Having trouble controlling your 'Mech? Well, don't buy anything just yet (strategy mags, hint books, or a 1-900 call)-just point your browser to The Cheat Page and find out all the programmer's tricks to cracking the hottest PC games today. From Alone in the Dark to X-Com, what you need is here. Part of the bigger Game Center (http://members.aol.com/formula73/webpg/gamecntr.htm#games), this site is a handy and much needed Web page for all gamers.
Classic Video Game Nexus
http://iquest.com/~lkseitz/cvg_nexus.htmlAnother cool Web site devoted to gamers whose childhood or early teenage memories lies in the first wave of video arcades and home console systems. If names like Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision strike a chord with you, or the familiar sounds of video games like Q-bert, Pac-man, Defender, and Pole Position make you smile, then point your browser here for a taste of early 80s nostalgia. Heavy on links to other places around the Net for related interests. Chomp-chomp.
[author's pick]
CNET Game Center
http://www.cnet.com/Gamecenter/Some WWW companies have managed to build colossal empires online that cater to your every need. The C-Net Network is one of those Mecca sites deserving of every drop of positive recognition from the online, and offline, community. Their Gaming Center itself has many excellent writers covering game reviews, news, gaming guides, sneak peaks, exclusives-not to mention thousands of tested and tried freeware, shareware, and demos for your home collection. If you are serious about gaming this is a "bookmark" must, brought to you by one of the most reliable all-around sources on the Net. C-Net is the main front desk to the Virtual Software Library (VSL)-the most powerful tool for searching for shareware and freeware on the Internet housing over 160,000 files available free for download. Through, VSL find out what are the most popular downloads from the Internet, the newest files, or browse through the archives using keywords or by directory. Although C-Net is the master site for VSL, see below for other mirrored sites around the globe. Make sure you also bookmark the C-Net main page for all of your other computer necessities at http://www.cnet.com/.
Mirrored VSL Sites
Australasia
Telstra Corporation, Melbourne, Australia
http://www.telstra.com.au/cgi-bin/vsl-frontThe Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, HongKonghttp://sunsite.ust.hk/cgi-bin/vsl-front
Europe
University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
http://www.fagg.uni-lj.si/cgi-bin/vsl-frontImperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine London, Englandhttp://shase.doc.ic.ac.uk/cgi-bin/vsl-front
University of Vaasa, Finlandhttp://garbo.uwasa.fi/cgi-bin/vsl-front
Technical University of Chemnitz-Zwickau, Germanyhttp://www1.tu-chemnitz.de/cgi-bin/vsl-front
North America
C|net: the computer network, San Francisco, USA
http://vsl.cnet.com/OAK Repository, Oakland University, Michigan, USAhttp://castor.acs.oakland.edu/cgi-bin/vsl-front
Computerlink/Internet Direct, Toronto, Canadahttp://abyss.idirect.com/cgi-bin/vsl-front
Compusult Limited in Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, Canadahttp://www.compusult.nf.ca:80/cgi-bin/vsl-front
.cONsoLe .WOrLd
http://www.cm.cf.ac.uk/Games/A UK site dedicated to most TV console systems: Sega (Genesis/MegaDrive, 32X, Genesis CD/Mega CD, Game Gear), Nintendo (SNES, NES, Game Boy), Atari (Jaguar, Lynx), 3DO, and the CD-i. .cONsoLe .WOrLd carries almost 2,000 individual titles along with news, cheats, game specs, FAQs, images, and useful links (newsgroups and FTPs, too).
Cutting Edge Games
http://www.flash.net/~shogun/A page designed by Shogun's Lair to bring you the creme de la creme of downloadable PC games from the Net. Choose between his Top Picks, Doom-Style Games, Simulations (i.e. space, flight, and racing sims), Role-Playing, Adventure, Strategy/War games, Family Fun (education, arcade, board, and casino games), and Sports games (including the Fighting genre). Cool links are also provided.
Digital Nostalgia
http://www.umich.edu/~webspin/games/If you spent the late 70s and early 80s with a pocket full of quarters or tokens at an arcade, or Atari's Pitfall on your TV, then you'll love this site paying homage to classic arcade and computer games. From Pac-man to Space Invaders, Donkey Kong to Centipede, these downloadable favorites fill up each of these nostalgic pages. Looking for a Colecovision or Commodore 64 Emulator? Well, you can find those here as well. Tons of freeware and shareware goodies to choose from for PCs (sorry, no Mac games). Many cool links, too.
Download Games Now!
http://166.93.8.14/~bwood/bwgames.htmlYes, that's what this page is called. Part of Brent Wood's home page, you can download both new and classic shareware and game demos. Each choice is accompanied by a screen shot, file size, and brief description. Other assets of this page are the informative links collection for PC and Mac games and the "Other Fun Stuff" section. How many other non-corporate game pages out there reach almost a million hits in one year?
Dr. Download
http://www.drdownload.com/home.htmThe Doc has set out to provide his game-hungry guests only with worthy shareware. He reasons there is too much junk out there so this Web master takes it upon himself to bring you, the gamer, only the cream of the crop. With all of his online hours under his belt the Good Doctor has earned respect from his visitors for his self-proclaimed gaming knowledge and discernment. Nice-and-simple page design and user-friendly animated colorful buttons.
Father of Shareware, The
http://www.halcyon.com/knopf/jimJim Knopf, the now retired "father of shareware," started the "try-before-you-buy" software revolution back in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington. This award-winning site, which receives over 3,000 hits a day, is a tribute to realm of shareware and freeware as a whole. Crescendo sings out tunes on your visit, such as Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" or the Coca-Cola theme song, while you rummage through the informative links to worldwide software resources. Most of Jim's more recent freeware creations are available for download leaning toward varied Windows utilities. If nothing else I think this Web page is important for any Internet gamer to visit to see where our shareware practices originated.
[author's pick]
File Factory, The
http://www.filefactory.com/The File Factory is a preview of the features to be found in GameScape, the game resource center of the Total Entertainment Network (see Chapter 13). A visit here requires a frames- and Java Script-compatible browser such as Netscape 2.0+ or Microsoft Explorer 3.0+. This page claims they have "nothing but PC game files," and a whole slew of them too: patches, news, shareware, FAQs, uploads, cracks, secrets, utilities, and an e-mail message notification for any new changes (optional). Literally thousands of files available-all for free. I guess Santa found out I've been good all year!
Fun Game Domain
http://www.fungame.com/The Fun Game Domain (FGD) contains almost 1,000 downloads and nearly 1,500 cool links. Every new day will bring you a "Fun Site of the Day" to link to, or view the daily demo pick. Add the FGD button to your own home page and they'll send you Mutant Space Bats of Doom for free. Use the "PC Game Finder" section to track down Web sites, demos, previews, reviews, cheats, and fan sites, for an abundant number of commercial PC games.
G1 - The GameMasters
http://www.gttweb.com/game/A links-happy site providing their visitors with, in their opinion, the top 5% of all Internet gaming sites. The theme from those Charlie Brown cartoons fills the background while you surf through their game links: action, strategy, simulations, land warfare, naval warfare, air warfare, space and fantasy sitesÉand more. Commercial companies and gaming hardware manufacturer sites are also provided. Check out the moving color marquee for current news and contest information.
Galaxy Games
http://www.galaxygames.com/The world's largest online game storeÉand more. This Netscape 3.0 enhanced site sells 3DO, IBM, MAC, Nintendo, PlayStation, and Sega games straight to your door for $5.00 a pop ($12.00 outside of the U.S.). This Web page also offers free demo downloads, company and unofficial game links (aptly called "Jump Gate"), a resource center (pre-release hype), and information on their World Group BBS (claiming 25,000 game downloads, 20 online live multiplayer games, and a huge game classified section).
Galt Shareware Zone
http://www.galttech.com/A very Windows-oriented design graces this Web site's pages and offers quite a selection for the enterprising gamer. Sign up for a free newsletter or read extensive game reviews before you go out and blow some dough on the newest game. Even better, for $40.00 you can order any of the Mega CDs and have it delivered to your door (over 55 countries served). The CD is packed with over 600MB of games or, if you have the time, download them all right here from their archives. By the time you read this, the Galt Shareware Zone may well have celebrated its millionth or so visitor. Congrats to a well-arranged and charming Web page.
Gamelan Javatm Games on the Web
http://www.gamelan.com/pages/Gamelan.arts.game.htmlEarthweb's Gamelan's Arts and Entertainment Games section links you to the hottest real-time gaming around the world using Java Applets. Each directory is separated into arcade games (121 entries), board games (75 entries), card games (33 entries), multiplayer (56 entries), puzzles (99 entries), and resources (131 entries). If you prefer an alphabetical list encompassing all formats, it is provided here as well.
Games and Utilities for Windows 95
http://www.ryerson.ca/~j1leung/As his home page indicates, John Leung has prepared an alphabetical listing of cool Windows 95 games to download for free. They are all presented alphabetically along with file size and brief description. Useful utilities and hot links are also supplied in this Canadian frames-enhanced Web site. Make sure you grab Hangman 2.0 (only 145K) and The Scent of War I.
[author's pick]
Games Domain
www.gamesdomain.co.ukPossibly the world's finest collection of free games to download whether you own a PC, Mac, or an Amiga. Games Domain contains thousands of shareware and freeware games (yes, I said thousands) with an easy-to-use search engine, daily gaming news, and exciting contests-not to mention their many column and feature sections. Hey, where else can you get over 50 different versions of Tetris?! Bookmark this site for more free games than your hard drive can handle.
Mirrored Sites: http://www.gamesdomain.com (USA)
http://www.gamesdomain.ru (Russia)
http://gamesdomain.dstc.edu.au(Australia)
Game Head
http://gamehead.com/index.stmPacific HiTech's gaming emporium Game Head is an attractive and resourceful site designed to get you want you want quickly and effortlessly. This frame-enhanced site allows you to hot-link to your fave gaming genre (role-playing, action, strategy, etc.) or use their convenient search engine to zap you to a particular game you have in mind. The seemingly never-ending list of shareware, freeware, and demos available for download also contain handy game descriptions. Game Head features a Top 100 Downloads section or a Top 10 Downloads list per gaming genre. Multiplayer and 3D games also have their own section for easy reference. Game Head is one of the better-looking and more comprehensive archive sites on the Web.
Game Link
http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~hristos/gamelink.htmlAn easy-to-use Web site housing a few hundred popular shareware games and game demos. Separated alphabetically by game name this site lists not only the file size and game category but you can view the read.me text prior to download-a feature many other Web sites should consider. If the game sounds like it is for you-click away and it's yours. Easy as pie.
Mirrored Sites:
USA:http://piglet.cc.utexas.edu/~hristos/gamelink.html
Italy: http://www.vol.it/mirror/GAMELINK/gamelink.html
Game List, The
http://moose.erie.net/~bobby/Bobby Wellington's well-known games page is designed to give the surfer a links selection of games listed alphabetically. Great for inexperienced or younger computer gamers, most titles are given a description, system requirements, and a screen shot and file size count. The FTP sites are right there ready for hot-linking and downloading. A simple framed design is effective and easy to navigate back and forth.
[author's pick]
GameLords
http://www.gamelords.com/By pooling collective talents, the Game Lords have set out to give you a complete comprehensive PC gaming experience. To use their own words, this Web page is a place where "weary virtual warriors can return to, to rest, recoup, exchange a few words, regroup, re-arm, pick a fight, and get ready for the next battle." Download tons of files (levels, patches, editors, and utilities) or view FAQs, strategy, screen shots, and secrets to all the hottest single-player and multiplayer titles: Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, Warcraft II, Mechwarrior 2, and Descent. This page is young (debuted end of August '96) and has a very strong future.
Game Oasis
http://www.cyberspace.com/acroft/The Game Oasis Web page is a plain front door to a game-rich FTP site and is broken down into FAQs, Cheats, Hints, and Demos. Many to choose from in all genres, these games are presented by name but read the INDEX file first prior to sifting through the list. Instead of spending $20.00 on a hint or walk-through book-see what the Game Oasis has in store first.
Game Page, The
http://www.xs4all.nl/~gzbrn/GamePage.htmlThis B&W-looking page contains many useful sections and features. Peruse though the links to the Internet PC games charts, news, reviews, downloads, codes, and a voting corner. The best part of this European page is the thousands of add-on levels designed for Doom, Doom 2, Descent, Quake, Command & Conquer, Warcraft II, Heretic, and Hexen.
Game Page of the Universe
http://www.pht.com/game/universe/index.htmlYet another cool gaming page from Pacific HiTech's growing online presence. Peruse through a multitude of "Best of" lists and articles on what's hot in the gaming world. A thorough list of links connecting to corporate sites and popular E-zines are also illustrated here. Their immense FTP site contains zip file size and you can even look at the contents of the file prior to download. Game enthusiasts can also add to the archive collection by uploading beloved shareware or rare game demos. PHT does it again with yet another useful site to keep you engaged for hours.
[author's pick]
GamePen, The
http://www.gamepen.com/One of the Web's most informative computer game sites offering many facets of gaming interest and trademarked sections. Areas such as "UnderD" (under development) gives you the latest gossip and behind-the-scene news, "CheatMe" (a cheat, hint, and code listing), "Group Therapy" (the latest demos and news direct from game-drenched Newsgroups), MultiplayerPen, and more. GamePen's "Game Time News Express" is a great Real Audio gaming news service with all the latest inside scoops. Simply minimize the Real Audio window and continue to check out this site while you listen to radio-like broadcasting on current electronic gaming happenings. GamePen has a nice effective layout and Web page design that is a cross between a comic book and a newspaper. What makes GamePen worthwhile are the accurate and reliable sources for news and strategy suggestions on the latest and greatest computer games.
Gamer's Inn, The
http://www.gamersinn.com/Very few Web sites actually make you feel like you are in another time or place. Although the games they offer sometimes help you escape for a while, hardly do you get a real experience out of the Web site environment itself. The Gamer's Inn is that rare exception where the sights and sounds of medieval Europe come alive in a friendly pub atmosphere (complete with corset-wearing maidens serving ale and cider). Happy Celtic music flows in the background while you make your selections exclusive to the Gamer's Inn: the Arena, Curio Shoppe, Gallery, Chronicles, Hall of Mystics, the Trysting place, etc. Java and downloadable games are available. Game demos, shareware, and freeware are separated into genre, operating system, Net games, multiplayer, tips, tricks, and more. Real-time chat groups, computer game artwork, game developments, accessories, and news are also provided. Words cannot describe this page well enough-this is a must see (and hear) to believe. An all-around A+ Web site.
Game Shack
http://www.jorsm.com/~dbrtos/Dave Brtos started Uncle Billy Bob's Game Shack in November, 1995 as a hobby, but little did he know he'd have over 100,000 hits less than six months later. This re-vamped Web site contains shareware games to download, cool links, prizes, and more. Any games page that start's with "Hi Y'All!" can't steer you wrong.
[author's pick]
GameSpot
http://www.gamespot.com/You may have seen GameSpot advertised in any of the leading Internet magazines over the past few months. A lot of money and time has gone into this PC gaming mega site but the end result is a sleek, colorful, and informative gaming resource center to gratify all tastes. Exhaustive game reviews are broken down into eight gaming genres but they also include company information, screen shots, difficulty rating, player's reviews, and an accumulated tally by the GameSpot staff for an overall score-per game! GameSpot also has exclusive features and departments as well as current gaming news with an option to e-mail you the updates. Related links, contests, chat forums, and a strategy section are also provided here. The only drawback to the site is the overflow of advertisements but at least they are gaming related (and when you see this site for yourself, you'll know why they needed the investments and advertising sponsors!) One of the "Top 10" gaming sites anywhere.
Game Time! All Games Radio Network
http://www.vn1.com/menu.htmGame Time! is an interesting Web site containing ten radio shows all to do with electronic gaming and leaning toward PCs. Real Audio software is necessary (available at http://www.realaudio.com/) to listen to these "radio" broadcasts broken up into daily shows and specialized sections. Mondays has sports news, Tuesdays are Sims, Wednesdays are reserved for action and adventure games, Thursdays are slotted for strategy and role-playing news and Fridays zoom in on multiplayer and Internet gaming information. There are also family gaming radio news, a developer's show, and more. Also check out the Java Chat Lounge to exchange your views and strategy opinions with fellow gamers. It's cool to hear gaming news, reviews, and playing tips through audio as a change and of course, you can still surf the Net while listening at the same time. Great site with a promising future.
Game Warehouse
http://www.iguide.com/genuine/sharewar/index.htmA extensive list of "classic" shareware or freeware titles from the past couple of years. Remember games such as Aquaman, Pickle Wars, Brix, Catacomb Abyss 3D and 1992's Spear of Destiny? Each of the 200 games available for download here are complete with honest reviews and ratings. The Games Warehouse is part of I-Guide's large online presence (the "Making sense of the 'Net' people"). Here's a place with no flashy graphics or animations but you can find hidden gems and lost gaming classics.
Game Zone, The
http://www.gamezone.net/This otherwise plain site serves as a database of downloadable freeware and shareware games. A simple yet attractive main page fronts this out-of-date gaming assortment with a surprising number of hits well into six figures. This is basically a modest FTP site with a Web shell but unfortunately there are far too many bigger and better pages offering the same games and more. Yet UNIX/Linux game-searchers may find some interest here.
[author's pick]
Happy Puppy
http://www.happypuppy.com/Would you believe that this Web site receives almost two million hits per month?! Happy Puppy (HP) is indisputably the most popular gaming site on the World Wide Web and is deserving of their inconceivable number of visitors. Created by long-time game designer Jennifer Diane Reitz, HP offers may sections and columns that cover every aspect of gaming imaginable: PC Hit 100 Games, WWW and FTP gaming guides, Cheats, Patches & Solutions, Online Web Games, Reviews, Real Audio Radio Shows, Pages for Youngster's, Web Mags, and more. HP also features pages by recruits Lord Soth (with over 1,200 games to play) and Hank "Doom" Leukart (Doom FAQ ver 6.666 writer and author of the Doom Hacker's Guide). As if this wasn't enough there's Game Newsgroups, a developer's page, 50 recent top game hits, Jennifer's Critique, and an exhaustive list of game-related and other interesting links in and around the Web. Truly one of the best gaming sites available. Not just a bookmark must, but how about HP as a start-up page for when you log on to the Net?
Internet Charts-PC and Video Games
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jojo/index.htmlJoJo's World Internet Charts (IC) document the hottest PC and video games on the Web. IC is constantly updated (with an option to vote) and each list highlights the game name and developer, genre, position, weeks on chart, and number of points awarded. Each entry into the Top 100 Commercial games and Top 40 downloads charts are all hot-linked to the Happy Puppy site so the surfer can download the game demo or access strategy tips, tricks, and codes. Cool site to find out what is popular in the expanding PC and video game industry with multiple mirrors.
Mirrored Sites:
USA: http://www.tiac.net/users/top100/
Malaysia: http://cyberhq.net.my/top100/
UK: http://www.futurenet.co.uk/,pcgamer1,pcgamer,/computing/worldcharts
[author's pick]
Jumbo!
http://www.jumbo.com/Would you believe me if I told you there was a Web site where you can download, for free, over 200,000 files?! One of the largest collection of freeware and shareware on our green earth is found here courtesy of the folks at Jumbo. Search by name, date, operating system, or file-type in order to find what you need fast and efficiently. This is truly a gamer's paradise as you can read the product's full description before you start to download. The appropriately named Jumbo! Web site is also a treat for Mac, Amiga, or UNIX gamers since they have their own section in the games subdivision. This Web page simply screams, "bookmark me!"
King Link & Games
http://www.kinglink.com/When was the last time you visited a Web site and saw and heard fireworks? I didn't think so. King Link & Games is a gaming kingdom housing online forums, anonymous FTP access, top games, and Windows applications for download (complete with reviews of each product), hot links, and a gaming news section. The best part of this frame-enhanced site is its "What's New?" section (daily additions of games and news) and the Site Map illustrating what there is at this Web page and where exactly to find it. With all these pages here you'll be glad to know it is a fast site to navigate through (they boast using super fast multiple T3s). With the exception of the intro fireworks this page is not much to look at but is definitely one of the best gaming archives and news/reviews sources around.
Lord Soth's Games on the Internet
www.happypuppy.com/games/lordsoth/index.htmlOne of the more respected resources on the Net in the realm of computer gaming. Lord Soth provides his visitors guide links to almost 2,000 games and also includes extensive cheats, hints and tips, walkthroughs, FAQs, add-ons, patches, and level editors. There are also sections highlighting non-playable demos, archived lists, and online multiplayer gaming. Games are broken down alphabetically or by gaming genre. Lord Soth is part of the Happy Puppy family which is one of the most popular gaming-related Web sites across the globe at http://www.happypuppy.com/.
Mecca, The
http://www.mm.com/user/tcdmntia/wwd/Slick design and hearty content make up this PC gamer's page. Sections include news (of the day, too), downloads, links, Game of the Week, levels, codes, On the Horizon (previews), Net games, Top 10s and more. Optimized for Internet Explorer 3.0, this savvy page is great for 3D action and real-time strategy titles such as Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, Warcraft II, and Mechwarrior 2.
Nuke InterNETWORK Page
http://www.nuke.com/A huge resource for computer and video gaming news, reviews, and downloads brought to you by Ziff-Davis publishing. Excellent features such as The Nuke Gaming Minute presented in VDOLive format, a Java Chat room, a Doom WAD and Duke Nukem MAP file listing, a downloadable gaming library (almost 2,000 available), you can subscribe to an e-mail "video or computer game mailing list" with up-to-the-minute happenings, or view the recent uploads from the last seven days. Use Nuke as a springboard to launch you to the greatest computer magazines from ZD like Computer Life, PC Computing, Computer Gaming World, PC Week, Family PC, Computer Shopper, Windows and more! Nuke brings you the wild and exciting world of gaming at your fingertips.
Online Games Directory
http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/m041/fran0264/games.htmFollowing in the trend to make all the latest and greatest PC games multiplayer (and thank heavens for that), the Online Games Directory features genre-specific information on multiplayer games. Game description, where to play them, how much it'll cost you, and a screen shot is available for all games. Categories are War, Strategy, RPG's, MUD's, Casino, Java, and Board games. Complete with crescendo tunes by Queen ("Another One Bites the Dust")-how appropriate for fierce head-to-head action! A Game of the Month section is also offered. Optimized for Netscape 3.0+. Hell, stay just for the midi tunes!
[author's pick]
Pacific HiTech
http://www.pht.com/I wouldn't quite say they have "over one zillion files" as their main page maintains, but you do get the idea they must have one of the biggest collection of software in the galaxy! PHT is an online game purchaser's dream because they have all you need under one roof. Surfers can order multimedia products direct to their door and pick up free CDs in the process. This Web site has a handy map outlining their enormous site-a feature other large Web sites should consider! For a more exhaustive look at their gaming division point your browser to PHT's GameHead page (http://www.gamehead.com/index.stm).
Pass the Shareware Please
http://www.frontiernet.net/~software/Another site dedicated to providing the time-conscious Web gamer the definitive list of worthwhile games to download and links to visit. Heavy on shareware as a whole, but their gaming section has the infamous Bekki Swartz's lists of cheats to all your favorite games. This is a good Web site to visit if you're stuck on your newest CD-ROM purchase. Simply pore over the alphabetical list provided and choose your poison. This site also features a cool (utility) tool of the day to download.
PC Release List, The
http://www.avault.com/pcrl/ or http://pc-release.ukonline.co.uk/Hosted by Adrenaline Vault (see Chapter 14), this page is devoted to gaming lists of all kinds such as Classic Games, New Games (by the day), and a Hall of Fame chart. Hot gaming news and a handy in-site search engine is also provided. Download game demos and shareware, or browse through the past month's charts. A gaming category section (arcade, strategy, Sims, etc.) is also available for those who prefer to look for games by specific genre. Slideshow previews and useful game patches can be downloaded as well.
Queue's World
http://www.thequeue.com/Queue's Adventures is designed to share new Virtual Reality worlds on the Web with their visitors (like Worlds Chat and Alphaworld) as well as providing you the best in Adventure, RPG, Online Gaming, and 3D Action game reviews, demo, news, screen-shots, and links. Complete with a scrolling color marquee, other sections include "Queue's 5-star Sites," "Queue's VR Worlds," "Queue's Adventures," and "Queue's Game Site." Game demos are also mirrored to the Adrenaline Vault Web page.
Rasener Software Archive
http://metro.turnpike.net/~dusty/Although the MS-DOS game section was closed upon my visits, the Windows games archive contained 20+ pages of shareware and freeware titles. Don't look for Duke Nukem 3D or Quake here-games found here listed alphabetically are more the traditional or classic titles. When a selection is chosen you are linked to the FTP site (Oregon State University) for quick and easy download. No graphics, no games description, and no cheats, hints, patches, or add-ons. Simply Windows games and lots of 'em.
Riddler
http://www.riddler.com/Those of you may remember seeing the Riddler "caps" or icon button on various Web pages early in 1996. That was part of their free "caps" contest that gave away a cruise, cash, and a weekend away for two. Riddler is a sleek and colorful Web experience housing many exclusive games and prizes. Try your luck with real-time mind-bending graphical games such as Mental Floss, The Daily Riddle, Bloodhound, Gridlock, Checkered Flag, King of the Hill, and Aha! Registration is free but is required to play.
Sandbox - The Interactive Entertainment Network
http://www.sandbox.net/A gaming network housing very cool, original games and prizes. Immerse yourself in episodic tales of intrigue, virtual road trips, real-life courtroom dramas, or compete head-to-head with players from around the world for daily prizes. Games include the riddle-heavy Cyberhunt (an interactive thriller!), The Court of Last Resort, The Best of Arizona Super Bowl Road Trip, and Speedbump. Registration is free so take advantage of this fun Web site.
Shareware.com
http://www.shareware.com/One of the most popular shareware sources on the Net. Part of the mega C-Net family (see their "Game Center" above), Shareware.com is a modern page chock-full of shareware, freeware, and game demos. List titles by popularity (generated by the Virtual Software Library people), operating system, or by time (specific week, month, or year). Articles, news, and reviews can be found at the C-Net front page-but for those of you ONLY interested in shareware (and tons of it), point your browser to http://www.shareware.com/.
Shareware Games and Demos
http://games.mgweb.com/A popular no-frills site (almost half a million hits so far in 1996 alone) supplying the Web surfer with chat and discussion forums to help you get through those tough games. Nominate your picks for the best and worst three games of all times. Add your e-mail address to the list to be automatically notified when the site has something new to see. A fair Web page with a myriad of downloads to try out. Heavily weighted in the 3D action game genres.
Italian Mirrored Site:
http://www.vol.it/MIRROR4/EN/bc.cybernex.net/pub/users/paladine/games/ or http://www.vol.it/UK/EN/VIDEOGAMES/
Software Net
http://www.software.net/quick.htmBasically an online shopping network for all computer-related software products (over 20,000 overall). By typing games in their own search engine will pull educational, puzzle and strategy titles for sale. This site is for the gamers who would rather have their CD-ROMs delivered right to their door. Listed by company name and operating system.
Software Site, The
http://www.softsite.com/Winner of Point Communication's "Top 5% of all Web Sites," The Software Site is a Windows gamer's paradise. News, downloads, and cool links make up the bulk of this page with a rich Windows 95 Games section. From here on in, click on the desired game category and each game comes complete with description, system requirements, and often company notes. UltiSoft, a small Windows game developer, has their home page on The Software Site and offers their own shareware games for either Windows 3.1+ or Windows 95. Featured programs are also highlighted.
Spoiler Centre, The
http://spoiler.et.ee/Thank heavens there are places like this. I remember a not-too-long-ago experience spending tons of money calling a 1-900 line to California for PC game hints. The Spoiler Centre (SC) is set up for those of you who have pulled your hair out trying to find solutions to those tough games in the wee hours of the morning. Veikko Danilas's SC breaks up computer games in five categories (Action, Strategy, RPG, Adventure and Other) or you can use their handy built-in search engine ("Zork" brought up Return To Zork, Zork Nemesis, Beyond Zork, Zork 1, Zork 2 and Zork 3). Most often there will be more than one spoiler per game as well. A very useful site and mirrored through Games Domain all around the world.
Mirrored Sites:
USA: http://www.gamesdomain.com/spoiler/
UK: http://www.gamesdomain.co.uk/spoiler/
Russia: http://www.gamesdomain.ru/spoiler/
South Africa: http://www.gamesdomain.co.za/spoiler/
Starbase Triton
http://www.striton.com/An attractive modern page with big colorful graphics and many sections: Gaming forums/discussion groups, Demos (non-interactive movie or playable), Information Center, Patches, Companies Databank, Gaming Accessories, Official Game Pages, and Game-Related Sites (links). Best part of the page is the Demos section-a huge listing of free offerings all key-coded with necessary information.
Tikkabik's Mac Games Page
http://www.tikkabik.com/mac_arcade.htmlFan of the coin-op arcade games from the "good old days"? Do you, as a Mac player, feel shunned for the lack of good game clones or emulators? Well, thanks to Boston's Peter A. Cohen, this collection of classic favorites are linked in alphabetical order, and each game is similar (or even almost identical) to the original. From Arkanoid to Xevious, it's all here and linked to FTP sites and Web pages around the globe. The Mac addict can download these variations of classics for free or peruse through the long list of Mac and game-related links.
Tim's Clubhouse
http://www.heatersworld.com/timspage.htmlAn all-in-one site. Sections include: Strategy and Tactics, Universal Hint System, Tipswap (exchange tricks with others), Demo Download (over 100 choices), Game Sites (links), Magazines, Newsgroups, Hardware, and more. The Universal Hint System and Tipswap areas makes this page worthwhile alone, but there other endearing qualities like a Live Game Chat and a scrolling Java newsreel.
Ultimate Gaming Resource
http://www.nai.net/~duane/home.htmA good fix for all your PC- and console-based information. Many sections cover all facets of electronic gaming: What's New, News, Reviews, Rumors, Previews, PC Release Dates, Console Release Dates, Cheat Codes, Walkthroughs, Demos, Patches, Software Companies, Hardware Companies, Feedback, and Links. On a good note: this page is constantly updated and expandingÉbut on a bad one: the gray background they use on their page makes it very hard to read against the black and blue print.
Video Game Lair/Computer Game Central
http://www.pcgames.net/vgl/This site is primarily two things. First, it is a voter's corner where you nominate the five top PC games today. Second, a links-section sending you to other large gaming centers on the World Wide Web. If you want to have your say on what's hot and what's not then drop in here for your two-cent's worth. You may find little else here to spark your interest. This plain page is part of the larger more impressive PC Games network site (http://www.pcgames.net).
Video Game Yellow Pages
http://www.gamepen.com/yellowpages/VGYP is a comprehensive computer and video gaming page offering links to gaming manufactures, magazines, Newsgroups, cheats and hints, patches and fixes, demos, and more. A handy search engine is included along with an organized choose-by-genre option for your favorite computer gaming types (Action, RPGs, Sims, Strategy, etc.) and platform systems (Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn, 3D0, PlayStation). Also included here is "News Express," a daily gaming news forum, and "Addicted to Games," a humorous weekly comic strip. All around impressive Web site with lots to offer for the avid gamer. Part of the larger GamePen Web site (http://www.gamepen.com/).
[author's pick]
Virtual Arcade, The
http://www.thearcade.com/Toronto, Canada's Webwurx Multimedia© opened this fantastic virtual coin-op arcade at the close of summer 1996. VRML, CGI, Java, and Shockwave programmers from around the world have contributed games to these six centers: Arcade 1, Arcade 2, Strategy, RPG, Board, and Elite rooms. Beautiful music fills the air while you navigate through the rooms (only with Internet Explorer 3.0) and play variations of Galaxian, Dig Dug, and other early 80s classics. A 3D first-perspective site worth visiting to see the latest and greatest browser technology.
Wild Side Gaming Page
http://arachnid.colgate.edu/alewis/games.htmlA plain, clean gaming site complete with demos, cheats, FTP lists and company WWW links, reviews, and news. Web surfers can also keep up on gaming gossip and industry happenings through an automatic e-mail free subscription if preferred. All shareware games available are of the 3D-perspective action genre such as Quake, Doom 1.9, Strife, and Duke Nukem 3D. Pick up the Ultimate Doom patch here as well.
Windows 95.com
http://www.windows95.com/apps/games.htmlIt's only appropriate that Stephen Jenkins, ex beta-tester for Windows 95 and founding member of the Bill Gates Fan Club (egad!), would create a Web site honoring the most anticipated computer operating system in the history of mankind. Needless-to-say, Windows 95.com should be viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0+ for the great music on every page (not found on the Netscape browser). It has many sections but the URL above heads right to the games section with plenty o' downloads to add your gaming collection. A thorough Action category also containing many great Quake utilities.
California State Univeristy, San Marcos
http://coyote.csusm.edu/cwis/winworld/games.htmlOver 50 HTML pages of Windows games each listed alphabetically with a description, file size, and date. This FTP-like archive is not much to look at but is loaded with games heavily weighing toward card, puzzle, and arcade classic titles. Cool solitaire variations and rare strategy games can be found here. A very different Web page with hard-to-find treats.
WinSite Archive
http://www.winsite.com/An extravagant collection of Windows-only software. Use the search engine or browse the top 100 uploads (Windows 3.1x, 95 or NT), or hottest downloads. Many games and game utilities available from the WinSite FTP servers are presented here with text and file size descriptions. It seems the reigning most popular downloads to date are strip poker variations. Games dominate the Top 100 lists but you may also find really cool utilities and other multimedia add-ons.
[author's pick]
ZD Net
http://www.zdnet.com/ or http://206.66.184.176/home/filters/main.html>http://206.66.184.176/home/filters/main.htmlAnother powerhouse site from the giant computer magazine and newspaper publishers Ziff-Davis. Zap to any of the popular magazines such as Computer Gaming World, Windows, Computer Shopper, Computer Life, PC Week, PC Computing, Yahoo! Life, Family PC, and more. I suggest you simply click on the Software Library icon to view, and download, the over 10,000 shareware files available! Each are broken up into gaming genre (Action, Strategy, Classics) or platform (Windows 95, Mac, DOS), or some games or commercial gaming companies have features and reviews in headline format. A gorgeous, modern site worthy of many visits to increase your personal games demos and shareware collection. In a rush? Click on http://www.hotfiles.com/games.html to access ZD's "Top Rated Shareware Games."
Zone, The
http://www.thezone.pair.com/game/list.htmThis section of The Zone houses a gigantic collection of PC games to play for free. By employing a simple click 'n download execution-all the shareware, freeware, and demo games listed alphabetically here are yours to keep. Try out classics like I-Motion's creepy Alone in the Dark or test your skill with Origin's Wing Commander IV. Looking for more game links around the Web? Then use The Zone's gaming resources list for places on the Net to hit (http://www.thezone.pair.com/game/biglist.htm).
