Posted August 24, 2020
Some 1988 games:
Galaxy Force II (ARC, 1988/SAT/3DS, ) - Rail Shooter, Spaceship-based
-Very smooth sprite scaling with large and detailed sprites
-Cave segments with branching paths
-Lock onto and shoot several targets at once, Homing missiles
-Level select screen (Xain'd Sleena, Mega Man)
-Fuel mechanic (River Raid?)
-Pretty impressive music
Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny (PCs, 1988) - WRPG/Sandbox or OW RPG (FP dungeon exploration, TD world exploration and TBS combat)
-Deeper storytelling and more complex plot
-Puts a new spin on the virtue system of the previous game by having them enforced harshly on the world's inhabitants by a corrupt despot and makes the player a fugitive
-The shadowlords have various effects on NPCs if present in the town you're currently in
-Day/night cycle and NPC schedules
-Old party members and locales+NPCs carry over from the previous game with some growth/changes
-Combat is almost always optional
-More object interaction (like pushing chairs in front of doors to block off access or taking torches off the walls)
-Look command
-Stealth element
-More advanced combat (diagonal aiming, equip individual hands) and more varied loot
-Villains must be stopped with cunning rather than force
Exile (Electron/BBC Micro, 1988/AMI/C64, 1991)(Superior Software/Audiogenic) - Platform Adventure/Action Adventure (thrust-based flight)
-Life-preserving teleport system (when very near death your avatar is automatically teleported to a location that you've previously designated)
-Very open-ended structure
-Advanced physics (gravity, inertia, mass, explosions, shockwaves, elemental (water/earth/wind/fire) effects) and puzzles designed around them
-Advanced enemy AI for the time (reacts to nearby noises, has line-of-sight vision, remembers where the player was last seen?, etc)
-Can grab some creatures to stop them from hurting you
-Four item inventory (your pockets are actually stasis fields meaning an object is completely suspended in time and space (a live grenade won't explode for example))
Bionic Commando (NES, 1988) - Platform Adventure, Side View & Top Down View Hybrid (map encounters only)
-Impressive graphics
-SMB3-like hub map with patrolling enemies and branching paths
-Hookshot mechanic (replaces jumping)
-Spy on enemy communications and communicate with allies in communications rooms
-Neutral areas where you get attacked for opening fire and can talk to NPCs for tips as well as find items
-Temporary spinning orbs shield power up
-Pick what gear to use before landing in an area (later used in Assault Suits Leynos)
-Quick exit code lets you exit any sidescrolling area
-Some gore and the game features Adolf Hitler as the enemy leader
-Escape sequence after the final boss (Xain'd Sleena, Metroid)
Dragon Quest III (NES, 1988) - JRPG
-Build a party of four (hiring system - can leave or replace members and re-recruit them later, six classes)
-Warp to any visited town (Ys?)
-Vault feature
-Pretty open ended/non-linear structure
-Gradual day/night cycle with effects on gameplay
-Giant bird ride
-Monster fight betting
-More meaningful dialogue choices
-Rudimentary battle formations (order)
-Invisiblility spell
Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter (PC-88/PC-98/FM-7/X1/MSX, 1988/PCE CD, 1989/NES, 1990/PC DOS, 1994) - ARPG, TD View
-Impressive graphics: https://worldsunraveled.weebly.com/1980s-8-bit-games.html
-Some innovative mechanics (transform into a demon to talk to enemies, gradually learn enemy stats by killing more of them (need to drink the bestiary potion first - later versions only?), bargain for a better iron ore price)
-Some ability/tool gating (mattock for breaking a couple of walls, stone shoes to not slide down icy slopes, magic fireballs melt ice blocks, the monster transformation, other more key-like tools)
-Healing points in dungeons
-Diary feature (it's not a full fledged journal/log feature though)
-You can shoot villagers with fire magic (harmless but sometimes results in new dialogue)
-Interesting how the first dungeon actually connects to the first town via someone's basement
-Interactive dialogue with key characters - choose the subject to ask about
-You can exit most boss battles at will
Some other graphically impressive games: https://worldsunraveled.weebly.com/other-1988-8-bit-games.html
IO: Into Oblivion (C64)
Mega Man 2 (NES)
Galaxy Force II (ARC, 1988/SAT/3DS, ) - Rail Shooter, Spaceship-based
-Very smooth sprite scaling with large and detailed sprites
-Cave segments with branching paths
-Lock onto and shoot several targets at once, Homing missiles
-Level select screen (Xain'd Sleena, Mega Man)
-Fuel mechanic (River Raid?)
-Pretty impressive music
Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny (PCs, 1988) - WRPG/Sandbox or OW RPG (FP dungeon exploration, TD world exploration and TBS combat)
-Deeper storytelling and more complex plot
-Puts a new spin on the virtue system of the previous game by having them enforced harshly on the world's inhabitants by a corrupt despot and makes the player a fugitive
-The shadowlords have various effects on NPCs if present in the town you're currently in
-Day/night cycle and NPC schedules
-Old party members and locales+NPCs carry over from the previous game with some growth/changes
-Combat is almost always optional
-More object interaction (like pushing chairs in front of doors to block off access or taking torches off the walls)
-Look command
-Stealth element
-More advanced combat (diagonal aiming, equip individual hands) and more varied loot
-Villains must be stopped with cunning rather than force
Exile (Electron/BBC Micro, 1988/AMI/C64, 1991)(Superior Software/Audiogenic) - Platform Adventure/Action Adventure (thrust-based flight)
-Life-preserving teleport system (when very near death your avatar is automatically teleported to a location that you've previously designated)
-Very open-ended structure
-Advanced physics (gravity, inertia, mass, explosions, shockwaves, elemental (water/earth/wind/fire) effects) and puzzles designed around them
-Advanced enemy AI for the time (reacts to nearby noises, has line-of-sight vision, remembers where the player was last seen?, etc)
-Can grab some creatures to stop them from hurting you
-Four item inventory (your pockets are actually stasis fields meaning an object is completely suspended in time and space (a live grenade won't explode for example))
Bionic Commando (NES, 1988) - Platform Adventure, Side View & Top Down View Hybrid (map encounters only)
-Impressive graphics
-SMB3-like hub map with patrolling enemies and branching paths
-Hookshot mechanic (replaces jumping)
-Spy on enemy communications and communicate with allies in communications rooms
-Neutral areas where you get attacked for opening fire and can talk to NPCs for tips as well as find items
-Temporary spinning orbs shield power up
-Pick what gear to use before landing in an area (later used in Assault Suits Leynos)
-Quick exit code lets you exit any sidescrolling area
-Some gore and the game features Adolf Hitler as the enemy leader
-Escape sequence after the final boss (Xain'd Sleena, Metroid)
Dragon Quest III (NES, 1988) - JRPG
-Build a party of four (hiring system - can leave or replace members and re-recruit them later, six classes)
-Warp to any visited town (Ys?)
-Vault feature
-Pretty open ended/non-linear structure
-Gradual day/night cycle with effects on gameplay
-Giant bird ride
-Monster fight betting
-More meaningful dialogue choices
-Rudimentary battle formations (order)
-Invisiblility spell
Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter (PC-88/PC-98/FM-7/X1/MSX, 1988/PCE CD, 1989/NES, 1990/PC DOS, 1994) - ARPG, TD View
-Impressive graphics: https://worldsunraveled.weebly.com/1980s-8-bit-games.html
-Some innovative mechanics (transform into a demon to talk to enemies, gradually learn enemy stats by killing more of them (need to drink the bestiary potion first - later versions only?), bargain for a better iron ore price)
-Some ability/tool gating (mattock for breaking a couple of walls, stone shoes to not slide down icy slopes, magic fireballs melt ice blocks, the monster transformation, other more key-like tools)
-Healing points in dungeons
-Diary feature (it's not a full fledged journal/log feature though)
-You can shoot villagers with fire magic (harmless but sometimes results in new dialogue)
-Interesting how the first dungeon actually connects to the first town via someone's basement
-Interactive dialogue with key characters - choose the subject to ask about
-You can exit most boss battles at will
Some other graphically impressive games: https://worldsunraveled.weebly.com/other-1988-8-bit-games.html
IO: Into Oblivion (C64)
Mega Man 2 (NES)
Post edited August 25, 2020 by ResidentLeever