Game News Phantasie series and other SSI classics released on Steam and GOG

[Infinitron]

Tags: Phantasie; Phantasie II; Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus; Prophecy of the Shadow; SNEG; Star Command; Strategic Simulations, Inc.

https://www.gamespress.com/SSI-and-Mindscape-Classics-from-SNEG-Available-Now-on-PC

London, UK (December 19, 2023) - SNEG, renowned publisher of long-lost classic titles, is proud to announce that its next collection of SSI and Mindscape-era games is available now on PC via GOG and Steam. This collection — which features Phantasie, Star Command, Great Naval Battles, and more — follows previous releases such as the Dungeons & Dragons Gold Box and Silver Box Classics collections, the 5 Star General games, and Spelljammer: Pirates of Realmspace.

Watch trailers for each game here.

In addition to a new collection of Mindscape and SSI titles, SNEG is offering discounts on several of its previously released games, including a Dungeons & Dragons classics bundle for 65%+ off (GOG | Steam) and an SSI classic strategy games bundle — which includes new releases — for 65%+ off (GOG | Steam).

“With this latest collection, we continue our goal of honoring the legacy of classic games and their creators and sharing important parts of gaming history,” said Oleg Klapovskiy, Director at SNEG. “As the number of titles SNEG publishes grows, we hope that more and more people will discover how these games helped establish and evolve genres and mechanics we still see today.”

Celebrate gaming history by diving into this star-studded collection:

Phantasie Collection [Phantasie, Phantasie II, Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus]
(1985 - 1987)
Face the wrath of Nikademus through the three distinct entries spanning an unforgettable saga. Assemble a party of six adventurers and set out to save the world, and Ferronrah, once again (and destroy an orb or two), this time with years of wisdom on your side!

Star Command
(1988)
Players command and customize a crew of eight, embarking on missions to earn credits and enhance their skills. The adventure deepens with planet explorations for hidden treasures and tactical encounters with disabled enemy ships. Engage in thrilling battles, commandeer rival vessels, and navigate through a universe brimming with possibilities.

Great Naval Battles Collection [Great Naval Battles: North Atlantic 1939-1943, Vol. II: Guadalcanal 1942-43, Vol. III: Fury in the Pacific 1941-44, Vol. IV: Burning Steel 1939-1942]
(1992 - 1996)
Command fleets and navigate rough Atlantic waters as you dive into the strategic intricacies of WWII’s maritime conflicts. From the Pacific to the Solomon Islands, to the Pacific Theater and Mediterranean, global naval warfare is delivered as a unique blend of historical accuracy and immersive action where you choose your own fate.

Wargame Construction Set Collection [Set I, Set II: Tanks!, Set III: Age of Rifles 1846-1905]
(1986 - 1996)
A definitive wartime gaming experience comes together for a strategy-simulation experience just as you remember it. Edit your battlefield for strategic advantage or self-inflicted challenge, go all-in on armored warfare, and sharpen your military tactics mindset, all against a rich historical tapestry.

Prophecy of the Shadow
(1992)
Framed for the murder of your master and on the run from Mage Hunters, it's up to you to break the prophecy and prevent The Shadow Lords from entering our world. Learn forbidden magics and clear your name while bringing an end to a string of events foretold before you were even born.

Renegade: Battle for Jacob's Star
(1995)
Command your own squad of fighter pilots in this first-person space flight action-adventure game. Originally praised for its story, character development, and strategic gameplay in a sea of sci-fi starfighter games, Renegade: Battle of Jacob’s Star weaves a terrific story as you battle the Terran Overload Government’s invasion force.

Savage Warriors
(1995)
Travel through time in this unique fighting game where warriors from across the centuries battle across interactive terrain with fist and blade. Battle with magic or modern weapons, unlock new characters, and engage in the original fighting game designed specifically for the PC.

WarBreeds
(1998)
Fight for survival and planetary domination in a war-torn galaxy! Defeat your enemies and steal their genetic material to expand your clan’s skills and firepower. Engineer and customize your army with a vast mixture of advanced bio-technological weaponry. Then use your shrewd strategies and brutal fighting skills to lead your clan to victory and become ruler of the fallen Empire.​

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2702050/Phantasie_Memorial_Set/
https://af.gog.com/game/phantasie_memorial_set?as=1649904300

 

[Grampy_Bone]

No Magic Candle? Boo.

 

[oldmanpaco]

I never played any of these. Wasn't Renegade a poorly done WC clone?

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Well this is a nice Christmas present. I have a soft spot for the old Phantasie CRPG games. The series lets you play with a lot of different race and class combos such as minotaurs, gnolls, ogres, sprites, and so on along with the normal fantasy choices of elves, dwarves, and humans.

 

[lvl 2 Blue Slime]

It's just the DOS versions with shitty CGA graphics

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Damn smelly Sneggers, giving us piss poor versions of Phantasie.

 

[Rincewind]

“With this latest collection, we continue our goal of honoring the legacy of classic games and their creators and sharing important parts of gaming history,”

...by releasing the shittiest ports available?

If we're talking about preserving and honouring the legacy of these games, just talking about the Phantasie series, those were prestigious 8-bit originals. How about releasing the Apple ][ and C64 versions then?

Then the best 16-bit ports were the Atari ST and Amiga ports. The DOS ports are just dogshit; look at that CGA graphics...

Well, or how about translating Phantasie IV: Birth of Heroes to English?

Smells like an extremely low-effort cash-grab with some copy/pasted "we honour the legacy, blah, blah" bullshit.

CGA graphics should be banned, except for the "unofficial" cyan / pink / white / black palette.

This reminds me of the CRPG Addict who has a talent for picking the worst ports (although, that just happens by default by playing the DOS versions of most games from the 80s). For example, here he was kinda reprimanded by one of his readers for that:

https://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2010/04/game-15-phantasie.html

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

They left copy protection in?

I have looked around but I can't seem to find it.

A copy protection question comes up and references the manual. The included manuals do not seem to have the information needed.

It asked what level of a stat was needed for daggers then asked a follow-up question. Getting them wrong leads to a message saying the game can not continue and it closes.

I am sure I am missing something.

 

[Rincewind]

They left copy protection in?

I have looked around but I can't seem to find it.

A copy protection question comes up and references the manual. The included manuals do not seem to have the information needed.

It asked what level of a stat was needed for daggers then asked a follow-up question. Getting them wrong leads to a message saying the game can not continue and it closes.

I am sure I am missing something.

Talk about "low-effort" Apparently, they're using the Apple ][ version for the second part—well, they have to, because only 1 and 3 were ported to DOS. Which makes their choices even more perplexing; why not just include all three Apple ][ games?

 

[mediocrepoet]

They left copy protection in?

I have looked around but I can't seem to find it.

A copy protection question comes up and references the manual. The included manuals do not seem to have the information needed.

It asked what level of a stat was needed for daggers then asked a follow-up question. Getting them wrong leads to a message saying the game can not continue and it closes.

I am sure I am missing something.

Talk about "low-effort" Apparently, they're using the Apple ][ version for the second part—well, they have to, because only 1 and 3 were ported to DOS. Which makes their choices even more perplexing; why not just include all three Apple ][ games?

They weren't easily available to download and fire into a download package. Have some respect. They had an intern work on that during morning coffee.

 

[Agesilaus]

Prophecy of the Shadow looks vaguely interesting.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

If you like adventure types like this you might like others on a similar list:
The Summoning
Dusk of the Gods
Veil of Darkness
Darkspyre
Sanitarium

Well, imho.

 

[PsihoKekec]

I never played any of these. Wasn't Renegade a poorly done WC clone?

Yep. Set in the universe of Renegade Legion it tried to do what MechWarrior did for BattleTech and failed.

 

[Galdred]

“With this latest collection, we continue our goal of honoring the legacy of classic games and their creators and sharing important parts of gaming history,”

...by releasing the shittiest ports available?

If we're talking about preserving and honouring the legacy of these games, just talking about the Phantasie series, those were prestigious 8-bit originals. How about releasing the Apple ][ and C64 versions then?

Then the best 16-bit ports were the Atari ST and Amiga ports. The DOS ports are just dogshit; look at that CGA graphics...

Well, or how about translating Phantasie IV: Birth of Heroes to English?

Smells like an extremely low-effort cash-grab with some copy/pasted "we honour the legacy, blah, blah" bullshit.

CGA graphics should be banned, except for the "unofficial" cyan / pink / white / black palette.

This reminds me of the CRPG Addict who has a talent for picking the worst ports (although, that just happens by default by playing the DOS versions of most games from the 80s). For example, here he was kinda reprimanded by one of his readers for that:

https://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2010/04/game-15-phantasie.html

Indeed, it is a shame that gog doesn't pack this kind of games with a proper Amiga emulator. PC gaming in the 80s was really lackluster.

 

[Rincewind]

Indeed, it is a shame that gog doesn't pack this kind of games with a proper Amiga emulator. PC gaming in the 80s was really lackluster.

Honestly, if you only kept the Sierra and LucasArts EGA adventures from the '80s PC catalogue and threw away the rest, not too much of value would be lost. Virtually all other PC originals have better Amiga, Atari ST, or Macintosh ports, and non-PC originals that were eventually ported to the PC were usually the worst versions... Even ports of C64 games sucked on the PC big time.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Sounds like a best ports thread in the making.

 

[Sceptic]

Disappointing to see what they did with Phantasie. No point in getting this, sticking with the ST ports is still the best way to play the entire trilogy.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

 

[taxalot]

They aren't packing the games with Amiga emulators because the Amiga roms are still under copyright.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Some of these titles seem ….. odd. Of note that I don’t see much chatter on is War Wind I&II, War Breeds, CyClones, Take No prisoners, Necrodome, and Renegade: Battle for Jacob’s Star. Anyone play any of these before?

 

[Mortmal]

Sounds like a best ports thread in the making.

There's no thread to make: Amiga > Atari ST >>>>>>> PC until 1990, and it was still holding till 1992. An Eye of the Beholder 2 Amiga port could stand next to a PC SVGA without shame, and that for a fraction of the price.as for those games i remember warbreed was ok, there's no classics there , only worth it if you had them before, for nostalgy value.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I’m kind of curious about Necrodome, Take no prisoners, and Renegade but I think they will need a higher discount or I’ll have to be really bored. I’d rather buy Weird West atm for $9.

 

[luj1]

and here I thought Impossible Creatures did this first

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I had to locate a manual for cyclones; go figure. I also found the reference card.

Other games with no listed manual:
Take No prisoners
Necrodome
Savage Warriors
Severance: Blade of darkness
Diggles

Probably more.

 

[mediocrepoet]

I had to locate a manual for cyclones; go figure. I also found the reference card.

Other games with no listed manual:
Take No prisoners
Necrodome
Savage Warriors
Severance: Blade of darkness
Diggles

Probably more.

Look, when you spend as much time, love, and care, bringing these classics into the modern era, sometimes small details like including a pdf of the manual from the era where this would actually be important, getting a version that doesn't look like radioactive anus, or bypassing the copy protection is simply too high a barrier to cross. I think you need to adjust your expectations and stop trying to splash these masterpieces with your gamer entitlement.