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by Tim Hoke

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  Freeware & Shareware
January 2002

Tim Hoke

Tim Hoke is the Sr. Pastor at Faith Presbyterian Church, a long-time member of Alamo PC and an avid computer user who loves to try out new programs, especially shareware and freeware. He gets excited about a good deal.  More than that, he enjoys sharing good deals with others.

Why not send him a note about your favorite shareware or freeware programs.

In honor of this month’s games theme I have mentioned a number of games that are either free or very inexpensive shareware. Not all games work on all platforms and none of them advertise to run on Windows XP. However, as you know if you came to our December general meeting, Windows XP has a feature that lets you fool software into thinking XP is really Windows 98. Talk about cool! I did not have enough space to list the companies that produce all of these products, but they can be downloaded from ZDNet . Well, for all you cheap-o gamers, here they are:
  • Tunnel Run 

    • looks interesting. Here’s a word from the developer:
      I created Tunnel Run in about the space of one weekend. It's based on the 'Most Overdone Game for the Graphing Calculator', (Fast Tunnel) which was sorely lacking a version for the PC. The object of the game is to survive as long as possible in a tunnel whose walls are rapidly closing in. Death is inevitable, just like in real life!
  • 3D Frog Frenzy 

    • A race against the clock and rush hour traffic to get froggy home safely! That testy amphibian is back...and the challenge is tougher than ever! Meet Froggy. He is the only frog alive who can't swim! Help Froggy navigate through highways while trying to avoid traffic and travel across rivers without drowning. The challenge is yours; guide Froggy through 20 menacing mazes, get Froggy home to safety. Only you can help!
     
  • Reindeer Mazes 

    • A maze game for kids with a Christmas theme and music. It includes nine different mazes that change every time you play. While meant for Christmas time, this maze game can be enjoyed throughout the year. 
     
  • 123 Free Solitaire, by Tree Card Games

    • A collection of twelve solitaire card games includes Carpet, Easthaven, Fifteens, Four Seasons, FreeCell, Klondike, Monte Carlo, Precedence, Royal Rendezvous, Simplicity, Spider Two Suits, and Spider One Suit. Enjoy features such as animated cards, autoplay, sound, and more. Each game has more than 9 trillion possible outcomes, so the collection remains fresh no matter how many times you play. This updated version adds one new game, Up or Down.
     
  • 123 Free Memory 

    • This offers four great memory games--Ace-To-King, Concentration, Forget-Me-Not and Memory-Up (6x4)--with more than nine trillion possible games to play for each game. You can customize the card sets, decks, backgrounds, autoplay options, undo/redo options, and sound effects. This updated version features enhanced speed, sound, and graphics. 
     
  • Elf Bowling 1.0 

    • invites you to strap on your best pair of bowling skates and polish up your shiny Christmas ball; it's time to save Christmas from those greedy little union elves. Help Santa show those elves what the true meaning of strike is! Special guest appearance by Kalvin Kroaker.
     
  • High-Velocity Paintball 

    • This game may save me a lot of money. If I’d let him, my son would spend his life playing paint ball, but who can afford it? Paintball can send you to the poorhouse. That’s why I’m excited to tell him about this freeware paint game. High-Velocity Paintball is an online multi-player paintball experience! Join tournaments and play against other people for the right to be called the best, or play in various games to earn money and upgrade your equipment. You don't need to wear a mask to be a part of this paintball experience so join up and play against other players from all over the globe!
     
  • Cyclanoid 

    • A tile-based game with a built-in visual puzzle builder, so you can play games or create your own. The objective is to arrange the tiles in rows to match the icons displayed along the game-area border. Much like Rubik's Cube in two dimensions, Cyclanoid is harder than it looks, because you must get the icons aligned without disrupting your previous work. Sounds and music are now available in this version.
     
  • Space Invaders 1978 2.0 

    • An authentic, small and addictive version of Taito's original Space Invaders. At the time of writing it, in 1996, there were no properly authentic Space Invaders clones, so this may count as the first. It's meant to be authentic, so that means chunky 1978-era graphics. Thousands of happy users...
     
  • Biliardo 

    • This got my attention because I love to play billards. In fact, if I had the space at my house I would be the proud owner of a billards table. This the first videogame with italian billiard games, like 5 Skittles, Goriziana, Boccette and Carom. This new version has: a totally redesigned cool graphic look, a new physic engine that allows you to perform any kind of shot, sound effects, detailed game statistics, training mode, undo last shot, replay... and plenty of options.
     
  • JSnake 

    • JSnake is a Java version of the popular Snake on some mobile phones. You can play on any platform and submit your own scores to get yourself listed on the website. You can download this to play offline or play online .
     
  • Bugatron 

    • This one sounds like a cool game. With it you can blast through multiple waves of 3D bugs in this Direct3D remake of the classic retro shooters of the '80s. Bugatron features hardware-accelerated 3D graphics, a killer soundtrack, unique level design, multiple power-ups, and addictive gameplay. This updated version includes a trademark notice for the Amiga Boing Ball and has an improved sound engine for more audio effects and volume control. It has added rapid fire, improved keyboard input, reinserted ship jumping, and bug fixes.
     
  • 3D Mars Mission 

    • The year is 2009. A probe has been sent to Mars in the hope of discovering life-forms on the planet. However, no one is prepared for what comes next: it is revealed that a highly evolved Martian race lives in vast underground caverns on the planet. Radio waves emitted by the probe are interpreted as hostile, and the Martians declare war on Earth. Total annihilation is imminent. Earth has only three spacecraft capable of competing with the advanced technology of the Martians. It is your mission to save the human race from extinction. This latest version has been converted to use DirectX to its full advantage, and it has also been converted to "Dialware." 
     
  • DirectX

    • DirectX is a free (You heard it here first) from Microsoft that might just interest you. is the multimedia system foundation for Windows operating systems. Through DirectX, programs take full advantage of your system to give you the best multimedia experience possible. This latest version of DirectX offers updated graphics, faster frame rates, and support for massively multiplayer games. It also offers more immersive audio when running and displaying programs rich in multimedia elements such as full-color graphics, video, 3-D animation, and surround sound. If you had an earlier version of DirectX installed on your system, you will see little difference in available space on your hard drive following the installation.

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