Making a Shareware game.

[arj0n]

A golden oldie from 21 years back: The Adventures of Captain Comic

[alex]

Commander Keen, Halloween Harry, Kilo Blaster, Duke Nukem...  Yes those were the days.  Jill of the Jungle and Vinyl Goddess From Mars they were OK but girly games.

Who can forget Epic Pinball?



or Raptor Call of the Shadows?



or Rise of the Triad (Ludicrous Gibs!!!)



Or Death Rally



Those are some of my more memorable gaming experiences.  There were others, like Secret Agent: The Hunt for Red Rock Rover which I remember as being quite entertaining.

There was this one game where you were some troll or something and you ran around collecting fruit and jumping up in trees or something.  I really can't properly remember it, but it was weird.  Anyone have any clue what that might be?  I seem to recall the title screen having a bunch of creatures and people running around and jumping etc.

Finally, there was this Jetpack game, not sure what it was called, but the full version came with a level editor which let you build your own levels to jetpack around in...  hmm... 

Things are starting to flood back now...  What was that game where you flew a ship around a maze, shooting turrets, bouncing off walls, a bit like a single player subspace?

[OneDollar]

Finally, there was this Jetpack game, not sure what it was called, but the full version came with a level editor which let you build your own levels to jetpack around in...  hmm... 

Jetpack?
http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/jetpack/screenshots/gameShotId,50666
http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/jetpack/screenshots/gameShotId,50667/

[alex]

I can't see those images, try uploading them to a different server.  Moby Games apparently doesn't like direct linking.

Anyway, if it's this "Jetpack" then you're right: http://www.adeptsoftware.com/jetpack/

Funny I thought it had a different name.  I should have just googled "Jetpack game"...  crimmeny.

[arj0n]

Things are starting to flood back now...  What was that game where you flew a ship around a maze, shooting turrets, bouncing off walls, a bit like a single player subspace?

do you mean Descent?:

[arj0n]

There was this one game where you were some troll or something and you ran around collecting fruit and jumping up in trees or something.  I really can't properly remember it, but it was weird.  Anyone have any clue what that might be?  I seem to recall the title screen having a bunch of creatures and people running around and jumping etc.

mmhhh......
are you talking about this one maybe?

[Dervish]

Traffic Dept. 2192 that was a fun shareware game.

[alex]

Arj0n:
Descent was a great game (I felt really proud that I could manouver in full 720 degrees when friends still struggled with doom )

But this one was top down, 2d.   It was quite smooth and bouncy.  I have been searching for it and can't find it.

Also the troll game is so close but I remember the actual game was based in dos in a lower resolution.  Hm, anyway it's not important because...

I just remembered "Bio Menace", I played this one a bit, did it use the same engine as duke nukem?

[arj0n]

Yeh, bio menace:



Alex:
Bio Menace doesn't use the Duke Nukem engine, it uses the
scrolling engine from "Commander Keen: Goodbye, Galaxy!" 

[arj0n]

What about " The Chaos Engine" done by the great Bitmap Brothers:

[arj0n]

Or "In Search of Dr. Riptide":

[alex]

Alex:
Bio Menace doesn't use the Duke Nukem engine, it uses the
scrolling engine from "Commander Keen: Goodbye, Galaxy!" 

Cool thanks

Hey has anyone mentioned The Lost Vikings yet?

[arj0n]

Hey has anyone mentioned The Lost Vikings yet?

Nope, couz that hasn't been released as shareware

[arj0n]

Raptor screens:

[arj0n]

These where also released as shareware demo-games, awsome games!:

Gobliiins:                                                                  Gobliins 2: The Prince Buffoon


Goblins Quest 3:


Covers:

[Dualnames]

Apogeee for the WINNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111!!!!1111!!!!!

[arj0n]

Apogeee for the WINNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111!!!!1111!!!!!

I rest my case, amen 

[m0ds]

Haha, some awesome memories!! I remember Jill of the Jungle (what a fittie :p) and I remember the shareware length being completely lame.

But did anyone continue to purchase any of these? How was it done? I presume it was all done through the post, or in some cases using BBS -- if so, did anyone ever order anything through BBS, and what did it entail? Was that effectively just an online order form or could you, at the time, enter CC details? Just interested.

As a (very) young developer I remember wanting nothing more than to make a shareware game

[Babar]

I actually bought (or my father bought for me) these two:
Descent
Gobliiins (although I never played any shareware version)

The rest I played the full versions years later when I found them online. Ones on this page I've played:
All the Apogee ones
Wolfenstein 3d (or does that come under Apogee?)
Jetpack
Epic Pinball
Raptor (I spent a whole year loving this game with my friends ...I should load it up again)
Castle

Others I haven't seen mentioned yet:
Hexagon
Spitwad Willy
There was this 1 game (which I think was more recent than the rest of these), and Akatosh's screenshot reminded me of it. It was an RPG type game, I think it was isometric view, where you could choose to play as 1 of 3 characters (or maybe it was two). I always chose the magic user, who wore this cloak type thing. There were many NPCs called Serviles (I think), and name of the game was maybe Gene something or something with Cr.. I'd appreciate anyone helping me remember the name

[arj0n]

Babar, you must been talking about Geneforge:

Geneforge 1: (is this your magic user, who wore this cloak type thing?)


Geneforge 2:


Geneforge 3:


Geneforge 4: Rebellion:


Geneforge 5: Overthrow: