Five classic adventure games that need to be re-released as digital downloads
Grim Fandango's suave hero, Manuel "Manny" Calavera.
It used to be that playing classic, out-of-print PC games required you to find shady download sites or old dusty retail boxes on eBay, then hope that your ancient Windows 3.1 game would work under XP or Vista.
One of the most welcome recent developments in gaming is the relatively sudden availability of a huge back catalog of classic games, across multiple platforms.
Like classic films finally being released on DVD, you can now play great (and not-so-great) games from the '80s and '90s via the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii, as well as on your PC via download platforms such as Steam, GameTap, and Good Old Games (which is especially notable for offering DRM-free versions of classic games for $5-10).
Recent examples include LucasArts' The Secret of Monkey Island (available on Xbox Live and the iPhone), and the classic Fallout and Tex Murphy games on GOG.com.
While the future of PC gaming may be in question, many of our fondest video game memories are not of console games played on a living room TV, but of classic PC adventure games -- a genre virtually ignored today.
Sadly, many of our favorites are not yet available on any of these retro gaming platforms, so we present for you, in handy gallery form, our list of five classic adventure games that need to be re-released as digital downloads, pronto. Disagree with our choices? Let us know what classic games (adventure of otherwise) deserve a second chance in the comments section below.
[Note: We fully admit to not playing any of these games since their original release, so our fond memories may be more nostalgia than reality.]
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New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan. 
I agree with you about Blade Runner and Grim Fandango. Grim Fandango was a true classic. They had to release a patch for it to slow it down (making it playable) when Pentium III processors came out. I would imaging most of these games would need to be reworked for today's hardware.
My personal favorites where the King's Quest and Space Quest series. I still have the original floppies and discs for them.
however, I think my personal 5 would also include (for adventure games): Full Throttle, and selections from the Kings Quest, Police Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry series.
Although not really the same thing, I was always a fan of "The 7th Guest" and to a lesser extent, "The 11th Hour." They were supposed to make a third chapter, but I guess the company filed chapter 11 or something. It would be cool if they make a sequel to that (while updating the other 2) to further tell the story of Henry Stauf.
Best puzzle game of the 90s, if you ask me.
They are working on an animated movie (that was supposed to be out this year, but may be delayed).
Maybe this will spark more interest in it and re-release it or make a long deserved sequel (or both).
Of the games mentioned here, I of course agree with Grim, and I think the Gabriel Knight games are great, but Phantasmagoria? I don't think so.
Phantasmagoria was my very first computer game, which I got when I got my computer. It was a fun game-especially for a 15 year old playing a "naughty" game-and finished it the first weekend I had it. Well there was the first problem, it was way too short. But I still enjoyed it. Later I played other FMV games:Under a Killing Moon, and the Beast Within. Which began to show how much Phantasmagoria sucked. {I also played the 11th hour, but that game was even worse).
Coincidentally just last night I booted Phantasmagoria up, and wow it has not aged well at all. It looks atrocious, the acting is dubious at best and the little I played of it, it felt like a chore.
My suggestion for a game is the beautiful Last Express, I'm not sure if that is available anywhere right now.
Glad to see Blade Runner got mention, but sad that Full Throttle didn't.
Older Games I would like to see brought back that I cannot get to work:
Star Trek Starfleet Academy. The starfield graphics are incompatible with modern video cards, leaving an unattractive background.
Privater (The Darkening), yes you can get it to work by following on-line directions and burning a new Disc 1 CD, but a commercial updated re-release would probably bee a good seller. Great video cut scenes considering the age of the game.
Also, I'm playing the special edition of Monkey Island and having a blast. I had forgotten what a great game it is. I just hope the rest of them hold up as well.
ps. get an emulator, you can find the roms around
2. That's what the games industry calls this kind of content, so, like chill.
'nuff said.
Haven't seen a game like that in a long time.
- by JackOfShadows July 30, 2009 6:55 PM PDT
- Actually there are sites out there with totally legal downloads. Abandonia (http://www.abandonia.com) comes immediately to mind for older DOS games that have been released by the copyright holders. There are other sites for consoles, C-64, Amiga, and so on. DOSBox and WinUAE are right early installs here.
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