Welcome to Retro Freak Reviews, where we take an analytical look at past IBM PC-only games of the 80s and 90s.

There are hundreds of blogs and vlogs that review console games, but not many that review old PC games. So, I took it upon myself to review all these games from my childhood.

However, there are some guidelines that I follow when reviewing games:

First: I’ll only review games that were either released only for computers or that were immediately ported from consoles and arcade to a maximum of three months following the original release. Because usually when both versions are released around the same time is because they were made at the same time, not ported afterwards.

Second: Since I primarily had IBM PC computers (namely the Olivetti Prodest PC1 and a 486 DX2 later on) when growing up, I’ll be only reviewing DOS and Windows games, but I’ll mention other versions of the same game if I played them. In fact, every time I mentioned the PC, I’ll be referring to the IBM PC.

Third: I won’t review console ports of PC games, but I might mention them. Also, I won’t review fan-made games and remakes, although I might mention the latter.

Fourth: I’ll compare the original games to their remakes and/or remastered versions if I played them. I might also compare console and arcade ports to its original PC releases, but the focus of the reviews will be on the PC versions.

Fifth: I’ll see if the game being reviewed has aged well and still holds up to today’s standards.

Sixth: All the videos in the reviews come directly from my Youtube page unless I post videos from somebody else, which in that case all copyright and credits will be given.

Seventh: All comments and criticism will be well-received, except for hate speech and likewise. In other words, don’t be an asshole. Also, all spam will be filtered and deleted.

Eight: All sharing of posted reviews is not only permitted, but encouraged. However, don’t share my reviews and claim authorship. Come on, give all credit where it’s due, even mine.

Ninth: Don’t ask me where to obtain the games I review. If the game is freeware, I’ll add a link for you to find it. If the game is abandonware, go search for it, it won’t be hard to find. If the game is still being sold digitally, I’ll post a link to Steam or GOG.com, if not, then the game isn’t being sold digitally and therefore you’re on your own. I don’t and won’t endorse piracy!

Tenth: Most of the games reviewed are played on my current PC using either Dosbox or ScummVM. Don’t ask me how to set them up. Information isn’t hard to find. However I can recommend DBGL, it’s great! And if you need help playing old Windows games on modern computers, then I recommend the PC Gaming Wiki.

Eleventh: I’ll try to avoid story spoilers as much as possible for the players to experience the games for themselves if they choose to. However, if spoilers are inevitable to properly review the games, then a spoiler alert will be issued. Some of the videos posted are of full playthroughs, so beware.

Twelfth: When researching information about the games reviewed, I usually go to sites like Wikipedia and MobyGames. Sometimes, however, I also visit some developers’ official websites and even fan websites. If you want to share some websites or some extra trivia about some game in the comments section, you’re more than welcome to do so.

Enjoy!