Spaceward Ho! - Mac / PC / Amiga

We all love Master of Orion right...and we all love Westerns?! Mix them together and what have you got: bibbledy bobbledy boo! No...in fact what you have is Delta Taos whimsical and inventive 4X space strategy game Spaceward Hooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Invoking research trees, colony ships and the familiar tropes of 4X space strategy, Spaceward Ho! manages to assert a distinct voice amongst the multitude. The game was fast paced, involving semi-autonomous battles and little of the micro-management that increased turn times to a cosmic scale in similar programs. Humerous touches included sound effects, ridiculous iconography and technologies  Dr. Szeuss or Hieronymus Bosch would have been proud of: indeed by combining certain equipment; spaceships could be made to resemble sharks, wolfs and ominous skeletal battle cruisers!

Purchase Version 5.0 from the Delta Tao Website

Download 5.0 Demo Version

Download Version 4.0

Article at Tea Leaves 

Wikipedia Entry

Spaceward Ho! FAQ

The latest version applies a suitably polished veneer to the classic engine with a nice mix of new features: while maintaing the pace of the original. The Western theme is present and amusing but doesn't distract from the serious bussiness of managing a galactic empire. Download a copy, install and saddle-up pilgrim!

Moonstone: A Hard Day's Knight - Amiga / PC

Arguably the finest game released for the the Amiga. Moonstone: A Hard Day's Knight see's you take charge of a colourful knight errant. On the worldmap you move from swamp to desert, forest to mountain, soloing dungeons; garnering treasure, trinkets, weapons and spells. The game progresses in real time and the cycles of the sun and moon can change the complexion of magic and encounters (e.g some enemies are far stronger at night). The battles are played out in a Golden Axe'esque sequence of sword wielding, giblet squelching carnage. As you travel around the map you must be wary of the machinations of the other three knights who have embarked on the very same quest as you (for maximum enjoyment these may be controlled by human players), if your paths cross a vicious mano-a-mano battle ensues and the victor will have choice pick of the vanquished items. There are towns replete with usual taverns, temples and merchants. These sanctuaries provide a much needed break from the intensities of the monster wracked world outside.

The World of Moonstone


The infamous stone circle!


"Screw it. Lets go to the Tavern"


A Hard Day's Knight

The gameplay elements are simple but Moonstone is so packed with variety that every minute is a joy. When more than one human is involved the battles become intensely heated and each day must be used to its absolute fullest. Moonstone marries the strategy and playability of a classic fantasy board game (e.g Talisman, Dungeon, Heroquest etc) with the mechanics of a great computer action game.

Download from Abandonia
Moonstone Tavern: Fansite
Wikipedia Article

There are two version of Moonstone; one for MS-DOS and one for Amiga. I would say the Amiga version is superior but don't feel disheartened if you settle for DOS (its still a bona fide classic).