DOS Game Club

The Serpent Riders have made the kings of Parthoris their puppets and their undead legions are swarming the land. Only you, the Elf Corvus have the power to - you know what? The story probably isn't one bit more important than it is in DOOM, the masterpiece that this month's game is based on. Heretic was the breakthrough success for Raven Software, though, the company that would later become known for games like Jedi Knight II. But Heretic is remembered fondly by many fans, as well. Rightfully so? Or did it just ride the wave of DOOM clones, even using the DOOM engine in this case?

Let's find out!

Joining hosts Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") on this episode we have DGC members DRS (returning from the Karateka episode) and Wouter ("jefklak"), who's on the show for the first time.

[ download mp3 ] (101 mins, 115 MB)

Many thanks to DGC member Richard ("Pix") who helped produce the show, to DGC member Bernd ("console") who edited this episode, and to Bjorn ("TigerQuoll") for providing the game audio & music. Thanks to all who help us make this show possible, we can't do it without you!

* Heretic Hack Editor

* Deep dive into DoomEd on NextStep on YouTube, as used to create Heretic's levels

* Interview with Raven Software level designer Michael Raymond-Judy

* Original Heretic webpage on ravensoftware.com (archived)

* Official id Software history mentions Heretic (archived)

* Heretic retrospective on YouTube, by Seanzen Gaming

* id Software was previously discussed on DGC in episodes: 001 (Doom), 009 (Commander Keen), 067 (Quake) and 093 (Wolfenstein 3D)

UK studio Revolution Software might be most famous for their "Broken Sword" series of adventure games, but before they released those they had found quite some success already. After their first game "Lure of the Temptress" in 1992 did well, they had higher ambitions for their second game: "Beneath a Steel Sky". Working together with comic artist Dave Gibbons they developed a dystopian cyberpunk world in which you play Robert Foster, a fugitive who tries to stay out of the hands of the law, together with his robot companion Joey. Heavy stuff! Luckily there are plenty of jokes sprinkled throughout the game to keep light-hearted and fun, so it's no wonder really Beneath a Steel Sky won our adventure game poll (see links below). Time to check it out!

Joining hosts Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") we have DGC members Wesley ("Wesbat") and Dave ("dajaho"), both first time joining the podcast. Also joining is James Woodcock from pixelrefresh.com. Not only has James created a free to download "fan-made enhanced soundtrack" for Beneath a Steel Sky using more capable MIDI hardware than typically found in a gamer's PC; he also hosts a podcast together with Tony Warriner, co-founder of Revolution Software.

Last but not least we kindly received a voice message from DGC member Watchful, for which we are very thankful. You too can send us a voice message, by emailing it to [email protected].

Thank you for using LINC and be vigilant!

[ download mp3 ] (114 mins, 130 MB)

Many thanks to DGC member Richard ("Pix") who helped produce the show, and to DGC member Bernd ("console") who edited this episode. Thanks to all who help us make this show possible, we can't do it without you!

* DGC adventure game poll on Mastodon which Beneath a Steel Sky won

* Download Beneath a Steel Sky for free from scummvm.org

* Fan-made enhanced soundtrack for Beneath a Steel Sky by James Woodcock

* Game & Gadget podcast with James Woodcock and Tony Warriner

* Revolution: the quest for game development greatness Tony Warriner's book on the history of Revolution Software

* UK magazine reviews scanned by DGC member Pix

When we started DOS Game Club back in 2017, one of our earliest members Mike ("toasty") asked us if there are cricket games for DOS. Being a keen cricket fan, this was a genuine interest of his. Or perhaps he was joking. Either way, the thought of checking out some DOS cricket games lingered in the back of our minds ever since. How does cricket even work? Let's find out!

Joining hosts Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") is first of all of course Mike ("toasty") himself. He was a guest on the very first episode (on DOOM) and he's back now to answer all our cricket questions. Also joining is Jon ("BogusMeatFactory"), who was previously on the Jones in the Fast Lane episode (number 66). Jon is not only a keen and long-time streamer of obscure videogames (see link in the shownotes for his Twitch channel), but also recently became interested in cricket as a sport.

Enjoy!

[ download mp3 ] (103 mins, 118 MB)

Many thanks to DGC member Richard ("Pix") who helped produce the show. We're still quite a bit behind schedule, but we are catching up and hope to be back on track sooner rather than later.

* twitch.tv/bogusmeatfactory where Jon regularly streams games

* Ball in Play by Warehouse Games on YouTube

* English Sports skit by Dutch comedy group Jiskefet on YouTube

* Mark Carter's Cricket Games Homepage with information and screenshots of the cricket games he and his brother have made

* Mark Carter's github page which has source code for his cricket games

* DOS cricket games on Mobygames

* Mike's forum thread asking for a DOS cricket games from 2017

Niccolò Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat, author, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Italian Renaissance. He is best known for his political treatise The Prince (Il Principe), written around 1513 but not published until 1532, five years after his death.

None of this is in any way relevant for Microprose's 1995 strategy game "Machiavelli The Prince", in which you assume the role of a Venetian merchant prince between the year 1300 and 1492. In fact, the game is a remake of 1994's "Merchant Prince" by Holistic Design, in which Machiavelli is never mentioned at all. What is very "Machiavellian" however is the way you conduct your business: gameplay doesn't limit itself to mere exploring and trading, but also involves managing your popularity by hosting parties and commissioning art, gaining influence in politics and the church by bribing senators and buying cardinals, as well as less savoury activities such as hiring arsonists and assassins to hurt your competitors.

All in all it's a very intriguing historical 4x turn-based strategy game that seems to have flown under the radar a bit and is definitely less well-known than some of Microprose's other releases. All the more interesting to check it out now!

Joining hosts Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") we have three guests who are all brand new to the show. First of all there's Greg, who is a big fan of play-by-mail games and has a Machiavelli the Prince multiplayer game going for 4 years now. Next up is Leon, who is the creator of one of the very few if only surviving fan websites about Machiavelli the Prince (see links below if you want to check it out). And last but not least we have John aka "Dr. Riley" who is a history teacher and as such can help us determine the historical accuracy of this game.

We also received a voice message from DGC member Juan ("Reidrac"), who has fond memories of playing Machiavelli the Prince back in the day along with his sister. Juan also creates retro games himself, do check out his website linked below for those.

Enjoy!

[ download mp3 ] (112 mins, 128 MB)

Many thanks to DGC member Pix who helped produce the show, as well as DGC member console who edited the episode. Many thanks to them and all who make this show possible!

* Machiavelli the Prince fan website by Leon

* Dr. Riley plays Machiavelli the Prince on YouTube

* Holistic Design's official website

* Juan's website where he publishes his retro games

!!!Newsflash!!!

And you are Kurt Hectic, janitor on board the space station Jim Dandy and Earth's only hope. So get into your "Doctor Hawkins' Amazing Coil Suit" and strap on your "Doctor Hawkins' Incredible Ribbon Chute" and start skydiving down towards the planet, evading incoming missiles and start kicking some alien rear ends, not least thanks to the world's smallest nuclear explosion.

Is Shiny Entertainment's 1997 DOS classic still worth a play today? What does M.D.K. stand for? Who is Max? What is a Streamrider? And what does that all have to do with a handful of tiny villages in England and Scotland? Find out the answers to all of these questions (and more) in this episode.

Joining hosts Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") are Richard ("Pix"), who's been on the show so often, he actually started helping us out with getting the show produced now (thank you so much!), and Nick ("Martli"), who is entirely new to the show and is joining us all the way from New Zealand.

Once again, no voice message this time. What's wrong with all of you?

Enjoy!

[ download mp3 ] (106 mins, 122 MB)

We once again got lots of help from DGC member console with editing this episode. Many thanks to him and all who make this show possible!

* Richard (Pix) scanned in some UK magazine reviews and posted them on our forums

* MDK: The Complete History YouTube video by Slope's Game Room

* Various patches for MDK including a fix for the F2 save bug

* Interview with MDK designer Nick Bruty by MDK fan site Hectic HQ

In 1992, Nintendo released Super Mario Kart and all we PC gamers were terribly envious of our friends with a Super Nintendo. In 1994, Beavis Soft came to rectify the situation and gave us our own Mario Kart clone "Wacky Wheels".

People rejoiced and everybody thought it was a really great game. But was it really? Or were we just happy to see the PC finally being able to handle games console players had had for several years at that time?

While obviously a clone, there are several major differences between the original and Wacky Wheels. Is it still a good game? If not, does the nostalgia help?

Joining hosts Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") are Lars ("fastwinstondoom"), who's returning from the Dungeon Keeper episode, and Rees (from "ctrl-alt-rees") who made a video on Wacky Wheels some years ago (see links below).

No voice message this time, shame on all of you! (Just kidding, but not really).

Enjoy!

[ download mp3 ] (85 mins, 97 MB)

We once again got lots of help from DGC member console with editing this episode. Many thanks to him and all who make this show possible!

* Wacky Wheels review & history by ctrl+alt+rees

* Phil’s Wacky Wheels Site (archived, updated until 2015)

* Big Wacky Wheels FAQ on gamefaqs.com

* Wacky Wheels HD on Steam (discontinued) and itch.io

* The Skunny Extended Universe which includes Skunny Kart

* Kart Race obscure South Korean kart racing game that resembles Wacky Wheels a lot

* Epic MegaGames was discussed earlier on DGC in episodes 19 (Tyrian), 46 (Jill of the Jungle), 75 (One Must Fall: 2097) and most recently in 86 (Jazz Jackrabbit)

After successfully keeping the Holy Grail out of Nazi hands, Indiana Jones returned in 1992 with a brand new adventure. And unlike 1989's The Last Crusade, Fate of Atlantis is not based on any of the films, but instead presents us with an entirely original story!

With two playable characters (sometimes), three possible paths, randomised and optional puzzles (a few), a lush iMuse-powered soundtrack and full "talkie" voice acting, this is definitely LucasArts' most ambitious point & click adventure to date. But is it fun? Let's find out!

Joining hosts Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") are DGC veteran and adventure game fan Esko ("FireFyte"), as well as newcomer Dreamkid, for whom Fate of Atlantis was one of their earlier PC games and made a big last impression.

We also got a voice message from Watchful and last but not least the episode was expertly edited by Console. Thanks all for your effort, we can't do this without you.

Enjoy!

[ download mp3 ] (144 mins, 165 MB)

* There was quite some activity on the Fate of Atlantis forums for this month, and there are many great threads with scanned in magazine reviews, unofficial special editions, and much more.

* FiniteArts.com is FoA director Hal Barwood's personal website, where you can find some of his earliest games as well as many other things.

* Noah Falstein's blog which he kept until 2017 contains some interesting insights from the mind of FoA's co-designer.

* Daniel Abu has been doing great work interviewing game industry legends on YouTube, including Hal Barwood and Noah Falstein.

* Indy Guide is a walkthrough for both Indiana Jones adventure games and has been online since the year 2000.

* DREAMM emulator for LucasArts games by Aaron Giles

* More Lucas adventure gaming in DGC episodes 22 (The Secret of Monkey Island) and 54 (Day of the Tentacle), as well as episode 53 in which we interviewed David Fox.

You're in a Nazi prison, with a dead guard on the floor in front of you. You take his gun. Now you can fight your way out. This is the exciting premise of 1992's Wolfenstein 3D, developed by id Software and published as shareware by Apogee.

Now we all know Wolfenstein 3D was not the first FPS game ever made, or the first FPS id Software made, or even the first Wolfenstein game. But it's definitely one of the most foundational games for the first-person shooter genre, so all the more reason for us to finally check this one out for March, which is when we try to do a big blockbuster FPS game every year.

We have two guests joining Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") for this episode. First of all long-time DGC veteran Bjorn ("TigerQuoll"), who not only joined the discussion on the forums for this month, but who also made a Wolfenstein 3D level pack for us all to enjoy! See the links below to get these. Also joining is first-time podcast participant Jake, for whom Wolfenstein 3D is one of their favourite games ever.

We also got two voice messages, one by watchful and one by Albrot. Thanks a lot for those! Also many thanks to DGC member console, who helped us again to edit this episode. All your support is much appreciated, we couldn't make this show without it.

Enjoy!

[ download mp3 ] (133 mins, 153 MB)

* DGC level pack by TigerQuoll

* Scanned in magazine reviews by Pix and others

* Official Wolfenstein 3D website by Apogee, now 3DRealms

* Many Wolfenstein 3D downloads including MapEdit and Creator

* List of official releases showing the wide range of systems this game is available for

* What genre is Doom? a YouTube video by Ahoy about early first-person shooter genre naming

* More id Software and/or Apogee in DGC episodes: 1 (Doom), 9 (Commander Keen), 16 (Duke Nukem 3D), 18 (Death Rally), 55 (Rise of the Triad), 65 (Raptor) and 67 (Quake)

You start out with a single city on a map that's mostly covered in a fog of war. Use the city to produce units. Use the units to explore the map, seize more cities as you grow your army and eventually conquer the map by beating the AI. Sounds familiar? Before Sid Meier's Civilization there was... Empire, a very early example of a turn-based strategy war game, that turned out to be quite influential on the genre.

Originally developed by Walter Bright in the 1970s for the PDP-10, later incarnations of the game were released for various systems, including MS-DOS with 1987's Empire: Wargame of the Century and 1993's Empire Deluxe. What's it like to play this now? Let's find out!

Joining Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") is DGC veteran Hannes ("Mr Creosote"), who has been a long-time fan of the game and has written about it on his website The Good Old Days.

Thanks to Wesley for sending in a voice message, and to DGC member console for editing this episode. It's much appreciated, we couldn't make this show without all the help and support we receive.

Enjoy!

[ download mp3 ] (106 mins, 122 MB)

* The Good Old Days has reviews of both Empire: Wargame of the Century and Empire Deluxe

* Classic Empire is Walter Bright's own website on Empire, which has been online since 1997, and contains a wealth of great information as well as downloads of various versions

* Killer Bee Software is the current owner of the Empire license, and is responsible for Empire Deluxe on Steam and itch.io

Do you ever feel the world is just too... nice? If so, perhaps Dungeon Keeper scratches that itch, because even though it's a classic game of heroes vs demons, in this case you are the demon! Dungeon Keeper was a big hit for Bullfrog Productions back in 1997, but by no means their first. After Populous, Syndicate, Magic Carpet, Theme Park and many others, they were truly at the peak of the powers when Dungeon Keeper hit the shelves. Does that mean the game holds up now though? Let's find out!

Joining Martijn ("Tijn") and Florian ("rnlf") are DGC veteran Richard ("Pix"), as well as new-to-the-podcast DGC member Lars ("fastwinstondoom"). We also got a voice message for this one from DGC member David, aka EvilCommieDictator. Thank you!

Enjoy!

[ download mp3 ] (140 mins, 161 MB)

* Alakajam! is the game jam community founded by DGC member wan, who suggested Dungeon Keeper through the suggestion forum

* Dungeon Keeper Resurrection Diary kept by Dungeon Keeper development team member Dene Carter documents how some of Dungeon Keeper was put together

* Some Dungeon Keeper spiritual successors include War for the Overworld and Dungeons

* KeeperFX is a modern engine for playing Dungeon Keeper, which adds many quality of life features

* Dungeon Keeper magazine reviews scanned in by DGC member Pix