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Showcasing the awesome history of video game box art. An elegant wrapping from a more civilized age.

Chat and learn how to submit your own scans on our Discord: https://discord.gg/CWXbgxCeW5

Posts by @pxa.ca. Chat us up about retro games!
Four video games from my childhood that defined my taste in gaming.

Star Control II
Wing Commander
Master of Orion II
Space Quest
April 14, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Hey look, it's our awesome site creator and your humble Bluesky dude (@pxa.ca) at #TorontoGameExpo!

Getting the chance to contribute to this awesome preservation project and post goofy stuff on here has been a blast and I hope to do so for a while yet.

Pleasure meeting you my dude!
March 29, 2025 at 6:37 PM
F-29 Retaliator
Atari ST
1989
Digital Image Design/Ocean Software
Submitted by @pxa.ca

In my memory, this was kind of the Ace Combat of its day. Not as arcadey as After Burner, but nothing close to a sim either. Not too many remember it, but it's worth a play in context of its time.
March 5, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Wasteland
DOS
21988
Interplay Productions/Electronic Arts
Original: GOG | Steam
Remaster: GOG | Steam
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

Fallout before Fallout. The OG post-apocalyptic RPG. A product of its time, it's hard to go back to today, but it laid the groundwork for so much that's come since.
March 4, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Unreal Tournament 2004 (Small Box Release)
Windows
2004
Digital Extremes/Epic Games/Atari
[Archive.org Download](archive.org/details/ut20...)
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

One of the GOAT multiplayer shooters. Epic killed it because Tim Sweeney sucks, but it lives on thanks to the community!
March 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Need for Speed: Underground 2
Windows
2004
Black Box/Electronic Arts
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

Considered by many to be the best NFS and definitely the better Underground. A modern remaster of this would be so amazing, but EA doesn't seem to know what to do with NFS.

What was your favourite NFS?
March 4, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Super Meat Boy: Ultimate Edition!
Windows
2011
Team Meat
Steam
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

Signed by the legend Edmund McMillen himself! Not the first precision platformer, but definitely the one that set a new bar for what they could be. Absolutely brutal, but controls sublimley. A true classic!
February 18, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Ultima Underworld II: Labyrinth of Worlds
DOS
1993
Looking Glass Technologies/Origin Systems
GOG
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

Not as well known as the first, but improved on it in most ways, including a larger view! Need to go through this one day. You can buy both in a double pack now.
February 17, 2025 at 11:00 PM
System Shock
DOS
1994
Looking Glass Technologies/Origin Systems
GOG | Steam
Submitted by @pxa.ca

One of the original immersive sims and state of the art at the time. @civvie11.bsky.social once said this is like playing an operating system and he's not wrong, but it was an amazing sci-fi experience.
February 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Hyper 3-D Pinball
DOS
1995
NMS Software/Virgin Interactive Entertainment
Submitted by @pxa.ca

Simplistic, but oddly compelling box art. This was a very good 90s digital pinball pack that gets overlooked compared to other greats of the time. But has great design and feel. Shouldn't be missed!
February 16, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Dark Reign: The Future of War
Windows
1997
Auran/Activision
GOG
Submitted by @pxa.ca

Activision's attempt to compete with Command & Conquer, this takes place in a distant future and follows a group of rebels who survived a devastating civil war. Had some unique systems and was a well received RTS.
February 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM
King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne
DOS
1987
Sierra On-Line
GOG
Submitted by @pxa.ca

The sequel to the Roberta Williams game that started Sierra's empire. Didn't just have moon logic, but was also possible to soft lock yourself. But her worlds were something untold many got lost in.
February 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Quest for Glory III: Wages of War
DOS
1992
Cole Creations/Sierra On-Line
GOG | Steam
Submitted by @pxa.ca

Quest for Glory was considered Sierra's best adventure series by many. Great characters, great worlds and less reliance on moon logic. I never played them much, but intend to rectify that!
February 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Police Quest 3: The Kindred
DOS
1991
Sierra On-Line
GOG | Steam
Submitted by @pxa.ca

PQ goes VGA! Jesse Bains is gone, but now Sonny Bonds has to face down a cult committing gruesome murders. Another generational leap, the graphics in this were truly mind blowing. And that Jan Hammer score!
February 15, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Police Quest 2: The Vengeance
DOS
1988
Sierra On-Line
GOG | Steam
Submitted by @pxa.ca

The first game on Sierra's next-gen engine, this took PQ to a new level of fidelity and depth, with Jesse Bains back to take his revenge. Still full of moon logic, but blew people away who first saw it.
February 15, 2025 at 5:00 PM
KISS: Psycho Circus - The Nightmare Child
Windows
2000
Third Law Interactive/Gathering of Developers
Submitted by @pxa.ca

Has nothing to do with KISS and is based on Todd MacFarlane characters. This is a short and super strange FPS made by ex-Ion Storm people. Needs the Night Dive treatment!
February 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Jones in the Fast Lane
DOS
1991
Sierra On-Line
Floppy Disk Version In Browser
Submitted by @pxa.ca

Top tier DOS weirdness. A digital board game kind of like The Game of Life, but with some weird humour in it. Played this a TON in high school. The CD-ROM version adds voice acting too.
February 14, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Heart of China
DOS
1992
Dynamix/Sierra On-Line
GOG
Submitted by @pxa.ca

One of a pair of unique graphical adventures from Dynamix, this takes place in 1930s Asia. Graphics were state of the art for the time, plus it had an early Telltale-style choices matter system. I need to replay this one.
February 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Descent II
DOS
1996
Volition/Interplay Productions
GOG | Steam
Submitted by @pxa.ca

The first true 6 Degrees of Freedom shooter. Was revolutionary in its day and is still well regarded by some, but it's also brutally hard, cheap and difficult to control. It still stands out though!
February 14, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Quake II: Colossus
Linux
1999
id Software/Xatrix Entertainment/Rogue Entertainment/MacMillan Digital
GOG | Steam
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

id were early supporters of Linux gaming. Way ahead of their time. This is Quake II, plus two expansions, put on shelves alongside the Windows version.
February 13, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War
Windows
2004
Relic Entertainment/THQ
GOG | Steam
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

WH40K meets Command & Conquer and boy, did they deliver! All the carnage, chaos, atmosphere and personality of 40K, but the tight building and army management of C&C. Still holds up today!
February 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Descent: Freespace - The Great War
Windows
1998
Volition/Interplay Productions
GOG | Steam
Submitted by Apocalypse

Descent in name only really, but this was Volition's attempt to compete with Wing Commander and it did in many ways. Played great and had a cool universe, though not as rich as WC.
February 13, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Thimbleweek Park
Windows
2017
Terrible Toybox
GOG | Steam
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

Ron Gilbert's Kickstarted point and click adventure with old school art and humour, but some modern quality of life. Ashamed to say I've owned this forever and haven't played it yet. Was it as good as LucasArts?
February 12, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
Windows
2004
Ubisoft
GOG | Steam
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

The second of the 2000s Prince of Persia trilogy, where they tried to make the Prince an angsty goth kid. It didn't work and the game had some frustrating sequences as well, but still worth a play.
February 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
Windows
2008
Mythic Entertainment/Electronic Arts
Submitted by @adamzwakk.com

The Warhammer MMO everyone said they wanted, but it never got huge traction, only lasting 5 years before being shuttered. Every publisher rushed to capitalize on WoW, few succeeded.
February 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM