Cinemaware Anthology: 1986-1991

About

"Cinemaware Anthology: 1986-1991" is a collection of classic games from the legendary developer Cinemaware. Play games like Defender of the Crown, The King of Chicago, and Rocket Ranger, and choose between the original Amiga or PC MS-DOS versions. The anthology includes 13 games in total, ranging from action-packed adventures to sports simulations, and is compatible with Windows 7 and 8. Please note that the German version of Rocket Ranger is only available for purchases made in Germany.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Cinemaware Anthology: 1986-1991 screenshot

+10

75%

Audience ScoreBased on 151 reviews

graphics12 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The Cinemaware Anthology offers a nostalgic trip down memory lane for fans of classic games, with standout titles like 'Defender of the Crown' and 'It Came From the Desert' still holding up well today.
The collection includes both Amiga and DOS versions of the games, providing a good emulation experience for those who enjoyed these titles in their original format.
Many players appreciate the effort to bring back these classic games, highlighting their innovative design and engaging gameplay from the golden age of gaming.

The games suffer from numerous bugs, slow performance, and unresponsive controls, making them frustrating to play on modern systems.
Several features are missing from the Amiga versions, and the overall experience is marred by long loading times and outdated graphics that do not translate well to current standards.
This collection seems to cater primarily to nostalgia, with many new players likely finding the gameplay clunky and unappealing compared to modern titles.

graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
56%
9%
The graphics of the game are often described as dated, yet they still manage to create a rich atmosphere that immerses players in the experience. While some versions, particularly on the Amiga, are noted for their superior visuals, the PC versions suffer from poor graphical quality and unresponsive controls. Overall, despite their age, the graphics evoke nostalgia and contribute to the game's engaging gameplay, though many players express a desire for modern updates.
- “The game is beautifully designed, with stunning graphics that really bring the medieval world to life.”
- “Back then the graphics blew me away.”
- “But the emulation is spot on, and the graphics remain surprisingly decent given their age.”
- “Lords of the Rising Sun, when riding a horse after battle, it gets some odd graphics and then it crashes to the game start.”
- “The PC version has much better options and lets you end your turn manually, but the graphics are too ugly to look at (even for someone like me who was around in the 80s) and the PC speaker music beeps make your ears bleed.”
- “The problem is that the Amiga versions have lightyears better looking graphics (PC versions are 4 color CGA most of the time, all the screenshots here are the Amiga versions) but the PC versions are lightyears better in the gameplay department.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The game's story is widely praised for its compelling narrative, engaging characters, and a blend of action and adventure, earning high ratings from users. However, some players noted issues with gameplay mechanics that detracted from the overall experience, such as bugs and difficulty spikes. Despite these concerns, the story remains a standout feature that resonates with many players.
- “The game features a compelling storyline, great characters, and tons of action and adventure.”
- “At the time these games came out, there were three types of games: old-fashioned strategy games based on board games, story games that involved a lot of reading with little possible action, and the old standard side-scrolling-style action fare.”
- “The music is not playing when it should, but the visuals and context of the story are all there.”
- “Games that blended, as seamlessly as was possible in the days of CGA graphics, the story with action.”
gameplay
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
Cinemaware's gameplay is characterized by a cinematic design that aims for immersion through graphics and sound, but it suffers from significant issues such as spongy controls, obtuse objectives, and frustrating loading times. While the Amiga versions boast superior graphics, they are often criticized for their poor gameplay quality, making them nearly unplayable compared to the more functional PC versions. Overall, the gameplay experience is marred by confusion and unresponsiveness, detracting from the potential enjoyment of these titles.
- “Cinemaware was known for its cinematic approach to game design, which combined realistic graphics, atmospheric soundtracks, and engaging gameplay to create a truly immersive experience.”
- “The problem is that the Amiga versions have lightyears better looking graphics, but the PC versions are lightyears better in the gameplay department.”
- “The controls can be spongy, the gameplay objectives can be obtuse, and a few of them just weren't very good games even in their day.”
- “The Amiga game versions have better graphics, but that's where the differences end - the games (both PC and Amiga) have terrible loading times (often I did not know if the game was loading or froze), confusing and/or unresponsive controls (for instance, it's 'great' to save a Steam screenshot every time you close a game - you do this by pressing F12) and confusing gameplay.”
- “Most of the gameplay in the Amiga versions is so bad it's virtually unplayable.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
Cinemaware's games are praised for their atmospheric soundtracks that enhance the immersive experience, though some users note that the music can be inconsistent or poorly executed, particularly in the PC version where the speaker beeps are criticized. Despite these shortcomings, the overall quality of the music is still appreciated, with hopes for future revamps that leverage modern audio capabilities.
- “Cinemaware was known for its cinematic approach to game design, which combined realistic graphics, atmospheric soundtracks, and engaging gameplay to create a truly immersive experience.”
- “These games, and the music, are still so good that I feel guilty getting it on sale.”
- “I look forward to seeing Cinemaware revamp their games and make new ones that utilize modern graphics and music abilities.”
- “The PC speaker music beeps make your ears bleed.”
- “The music is not playing when it should, but the visuals and context of the story are all there.”
- “The graphics are too ugly to look at (even for someone like me who was around in the 80s).”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is described as rich and immersive, effectively drawing players in despite its dated graphics. Users appreciate the combination of realistic visuals, atmospheric soundtracks, and engaging gameplay, which together create a captivating experience that makes time fly.
- “Though dated graphically, its rich atmosphere and stunning playability are fully intact; I became immersed immediately and three hours passed like minutes.”
- “Cinemaware was known for its cinematic approach to game design, which combined realistic graphics, atmospheric soundtracks, and engaging gameplay to create a truly immersive experience.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with users reporting frequent crashes, bugs, and issues that render it unplayable. Many players experienced significant problems, including lost save files and graphical glitches, leading to frustration and an inability to progress after several hours of gameplay.
- “Unfortunately, I found it unplayable as this conversion is extremely buggy and resets and crashes a lot.”
- “As for LOTRS, it's buggy (defending castle from raid, the graphics mess up completely, had to reset). Also, the game lost my save game and just stopped being able to continue after 4.5 hours.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of randomness and sappy elements, providing a lighthearted and whimsical experience.
- “It has a nice bit of randomness to it with a touch of sappy humor.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviewers highlight a strong emphasis on replayability in the games, indicating that developers have thoughtfully designed elements that encourage players to return for multiple playthroughs.
- “The attention to replayability in this game is impressive.”
- “The developers have really focused on making this game enjoyable to replay.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, attributing this to the limitations of older programming techniques.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to "It Came From the Desert Again," reminiscing about their high school days and the nostalgia evoked by the game's impressive graphics and gameplay. This sense of nostalgia highlights the game's significant impact on their formative gaming experiences.
- “Playing 'It Came From the Desert' again made me feel like I was back in high school, with an open-jaw expression due to the top-end graphics and gameplay back then. This was one of the best games of my youth.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers express frustration over the lack of optimization for modern PCs, indicating that the games do not perform well on current hardware. This oversight detracts from the overall gaming experience.
- “They should have at least optimized the game for modern PCs, for God's sake!”