Disclaimer: The images on this page are from the "Electronics Boutique 1996 Spring CD". This was a promotional CD catalog given out at Electronics Boutique & Waldensoftware stores in early 1996. The images are only 256 color because that was the depth of the source files (keep in mind this was 1996).
CD Entertainment (Page 2)
This page has items 21-41 from the catalog, a few memorable games are in here along with a little game called "WarCraft". I guess there's some online version of it today that's popular or something.
Descent II, like the original, always gave me motion sickness.
The Mac version of Descent came out around the same time as Descent II for PC.
Descent: Levels of the World is your basic $10 collection of fan-made levels downloaded from BBS' and usenet. There were about a dozen collections like this for Doom.
If there's one thing the folks at Interplay mastered it was game packaging. Unlike the dull, mostly uniform boxes out today these looked like something you wanted to have on display. Whiplash had packaging superior to the game itself.
Not surprisingly, the gang at Lucas Arts also produced some great game packaging. Rebel Assault II was one of those games you just had to feature in a high-profile spot because the box jumped out at customers.
The Dig is "based on an idea by Stephen Spielberg". I wish I could write down random ideas and have people produce games and/or movies on them.
Tie Fighter was a huge seller at the time.
You Don't Know Jack was something of a sleeper title. People would hear about it from a friend and come in to get a copy of their own. There was no hype or advertising around it, just good old-fashioned word of mouth.
Trivia question: what have Christopher Walken and Jimmie Walker appeared in together? Answer: Ripper for the PC.
Speaking of packaging, Maximum Roadkill's was awful. Red on top of red on top of red, almost blinding.
I'm not going to comment on what the title Wooden Ships and Iron Men sounds like.
Darkseed II features "blood and gore, partial nudity, expletive language", tame by modern standards.
Going back to the terrible box art category brings us to I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream. This is another game that I believe sold something around zero copies.
WarCraft II is probably related to some game that's popular now.
The WarCraft II shareware might have been one of the last cheap shareware titles produced. Doom was the one that really introduced this concept to the masses but over time it became more practical to include demos on CDs in game magazines. Today of course we can just download the 500mb demo in a few minutes instead. This little package may have marked the end of an era in game distribution
So here's that WarCraft game that spawned a global obsession over a decade later. Never played the original or whichever one all the nerds are into today.
If I recall correctly. Pax Imperia 2 had a small cult following but not great mainstream success.
NCAA Championship Basketball was another forgettable game.
Looking at the box for Pinball World makes me miss the MTV show Liquid Television.
Wheel of Fortune features a digital Vanna White which sounds like something out of Weird Science.
One of many Jeopardy games for the PC.
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