PC game fanatics will know that the majority old PC games from the 1980’s were PC booter games. They were called such because they came on floppy disks that were placed in the drive, the computer was turned on, and the game booted directly. As PC games got more complex, many of these games became obsolete. But for vintage gamers, many of these games have been converted to DOS and can be found online or in other formats for gaming systems. Here are some of the best booter old PC games that will bring back memories.
Defender
One of the oldest booter games is Defender, released in 1981. This game arcade style video game requires the player to defend a planet from attacking aliens. It was the first game to use 2D motion during play, making it groundbreaking. It has a feel very much so like the game Asteroids, which its creator took its inspiration from. Despite its simplicity, Defender became Williams Electronics highest selling game, and one of the highest grossing arcade style old PC games ever.
Boulder Dash
This game is not to be confused with the board game Balderdash, and actually they have nothing in common with one another at all. This game was originally released in 1984 by First Star Software. In this game, Rockford races the clock, avoiding obstacles, and digging through caves to retrieve gems and diamonds. Although the game appears simple to many games today, in its day it was cutting edge. It had vibrant colors, animation, and a light story line to entertain everyone. Several versions of this game were released through the years, including the most recent Balder Dash - 30th Anniversary for both PC and Mac computers.
Jumpman
Jumpman was a platform game that had 30 levels to conquer. The storyline for the game is the planet of Jupiter has been attacked and bombs have been hidden throughout. All of the bombs need to be located and defused by Jumpman touching the bomb. Jumpman goes between three platforms by jumping and climbing ladders and ropes. After the bombs are defused, another random screen appears until the building is completed. Just make sure to shoot Orthogonally and avoid running into other obstacles to succeed.
Seastalker
The last booter game on our list is Seastalker. This game was released in 1984 by Infocom, and was available for a number of different home computer platforms. This game was an interactive fiction game, and was designed for pre-teens and teens to play, hence the difficulty rating of “junior” assigned to the game. In Seastalker, the main character is the player. He or she assumes the role of a marine scientist and inventor, who is assisted by Tip. He receives a signal from the Aquadome, located deep beneath the sea. The underwater structure needs to be saved from an attacking sea monster before it is too late. The Scimitar, a two person submarine, is taken by the player and Tip to the Aquadome. But there are a number of unexpected surprises to look out for along the way before the Aquadome can be saved.
