The Greatest Computer Games of All Time (Apple 2 Edition)

[Irlo]

6. Aztec (1982). A stunningly original, and mostly forgotten game, from the time, it pushed the Apple 2 to the limits, and often past it, resulting in the occasional maddening glitch along with the exciting gameplay.

Oh, those glitches. The glorious glitches! I thought it was just a bad floppy.

 

[jdrakeh]

Temple of Apshai should probably be on this list. It appeared on many systems, including the Apple II. I still own all of the manuals just to read (the lore via The Adventures of Brian Hammerhand is astoundingly good for what it is and the artwork is likewise evocative).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Ignoring most of the rules…

Apple IIe & IIsi games I spent the most time playing (based on faulty, aging brain cells):

Zork
Wizardry 1
Ultima III
Bard’s Tale
MadVenture
The SSI D&D games (Pool of Radiance?)
Moebius
Autoduel (one of few games I have EVER played to completion)
Lode Runner
The BASIC Star Trek game
Ancient Art of War (played it more on Mac, though)
Broadsides
Prince of Persia

 

[LanaMoreno]

Ah, the memories! The greatest computer game of all time on the Apple II. Aztec was such a gem! The glitches may have been frustrating at times, but they added a certain charm to the gameplay. I remember thinking it was just a bad floppy but looking back, those glitches made it even more exciting! It can be a challenge to find games that run smoothly on my MacBook. That's why I've been hooked on playing games on my phone lately. It's convenient, and I can always find games that work flawlessly.By the way, have you ever tried the best games to win real money? I recently discovered some awesome options out there. It's a thrilling experience to have fun and potentially earn some extra cash at the same time. These games have become my go-to for entertainment and a chance to win big.

 

[Morrus]

It would be a lot easier to take these lists seriously if they were "Snarf's Favorites" instead of "The Greatest of All Time".

I don't think the intent is to take them seriously...

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I've literally never used an Apple II, so I have no opinions here, but I love to see a good list of ancient games for an ancient computer. I get the impression the UK equivalent of the Apple II was basically the BBC Micro, in that it was the computer everyone Of A Certain Age used when they were at school.

 

[Riley]

I remember one great(?) Apple II game- but I don’t know its name.

It was a lot like a Zork game in an abandoned/haunted house, but with simple vector-like line illustrations of each room. You could study and pick up things, and I believe the ultimate goal of the game may have been to get out of the house. (Or maybe to find a treasure in the house?)

Sort of like Granny, but without the evil Granny.

Anyone have any idea what that game might’ve been?

 

[billd91]

1. Karateka (1984). Words cannot explain how game-changing Karateka was for the time. This was the first game on the home computer to marry fluid animation and good (if simple) combat. Most importantly, it told a story in its game. Anyone who played it remembers it- and, like many, you likely remember what happened the first time you finally triumphed and approached the princess. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! What?

I LOVED that game. Trouble was, it never ran successfully on my Apple IIc. It did, however, run just fine on my friend's IIe and on the IIes in the school computer lab. So I was pretty satisfied.

I have to put out a couple of other kudos to game that may also have been PC games:

Tapper - a surprisingly good adaptation of the arcade game
D&D: Pool of Radiance - the experience of lobbing your first fireball and watching it expand toward you and realizing you weren't sure if you were far enough away or not was worth the price of admission alone. Plus, it wasn't playing at D&D on the computer, it WAS D&D on the computer.

 

[TheHand]

Ultima I on the Apple II was the big game changer for me and my gateway into the world of ttrpgs. When the pandemic hit I grabbed Ultima I thru 5 on GOG and binge played the whole classic series.
Another special one for me was the Eamon text rpg series by Donald Brown, which inspired my sense of reading and writing. I was later lucky enough to “meet” the author in the mmorpg City of Heroes.

Karateka gets another vote from me. It was so cinematic and immersive for its day. It was the first video game I ever won.

Honorable mentions to Wizardry and Bard’s Tale for me.

 

[ichabod]

No Droll? No Stellar 7? No Pinball Construction Set? No RobotWar? Sigh.