What are the best Amiga games of all time for the platform? Why haven’t Amitopia Amiga Magazine put up such a list before? Well, that takes time to think about what game should be listed. Also, what should be the criteria?
The 5 best Amiga games that I’ve chosen must have gameplay as its first criteria. Then graphics and sound don’t need to be arcade style-based games but they have to be remarkable ones. Also, it doesn’t matter from which game house or developer the game comes from. This is about the love and passion thoughts for the titles that made them unique for me.
All of the Amiga games in this list must have those 3 game criteria pretty high and at the same time be very unique. Also, it doesn’t matter if they are from the early 90s or from today.
#1 – Menace
When I saw the Amiga game Menace on the Computer Chronicles a few years ago on YouTube (see the video below!). Something melted in my heart. This arcade style shooter is something that is so underrated by the computing and gaming magazines out there. There was absolutely no other computer in 1988 that could do what the Amiga could back in 1988, and Menace is a title that made my love for the Amiga platform grow. It showed what Amiga could do and so much more.
Menace is one of those titles for Amiga that deliver more than just amazing graphics and sound. You also get remarkable gameplay and interactions in the game that makes this a game that never gets old to my soul.
The gameplay of Menace never gets old and its one of its golden points.
Gameplay
The Joystick control of the spaceship is fluid. There are powerup boxes popping up that can give you extra weapons, shields, and speed. You have to shoot the powerup boxes to chose what you want. You get the powerups only when you have shot all of the enemies in the same wave that is attacking you. Be quick and determined on what you need.
The easiest extra weapons to collect are fast to get, however, there are two extra weapons also that you can attach on top and beneath your spaceship. These will stay forever until you die and they are handy as they can shoot backward.
Playing Menace full of action is a blast. There are other shooters such as Silkworm, Reshoot R, Stardust, Banshee, and Swiv also that are fantastic shooters. But they still lack that little extra. They are top-notch shooters but if you play Menace you will understand my view I hope. The enemies are really nice to hit and there are no slowdowns even on a 512KB RAM Amiga system which put that extra dot on the ‘i’ letter. Perfect!
Graphics
Back in 1988, there were no games for any other platform that had such a nice look. All of the parallax scrolling, level graphics, and the spaceship itself is in my view timeless. It still looks great today in my view.
I don’t feel like I am playing a game from 1988 today when I play Menace. I can’t understand how Amiga 500 or any other Amiga models couldn’t win people’s attention at that time. Commodore did lots of strange moves. But the graphics in the Menace version for the Amiga is remembered forever.
Sound
The music when the title screen appears and when the mothership of your spacecraft shows up before shooting begins is just epic. The music adds so much atmosphere to this game together with the sound effects in the game. Paula chip is really getting used as it should in this game when you have both music and sound effects for a game that only requires 512KB RAM Amiga!
No other computer in 1988 could do this sound quality at that time and still today Menace music and sound effects are still golden for me. Put this game and play its sounds by using a good HiFi system. It deserves that!
Overall
Menace is in my view the perfect Amiga gaming experience recommended to try and you’re truly witnessed to one of gamings history gems.
Yes, I even want to go as far as saying that Menace is as big as game titles such as Speedball, Elite II, Doom, and Age Of Empires were in their respective genres. The fact that it came early in the days of Amiga and hasn’t got any bigger status is beyond my understanding.
Menace is a gem! When released in 1988, no other version of the game was so perfect. If you want to have a blast from a game that never ages. This is the title to play.
#2 – Gloom Deluxe
This is not Doom! And it’s not Wolfenstein 3D or Genetic Species! It’s not Heretic and it doesn’t try to be anything else than it is. The developers of Gloom Deluxe wrote that they got inspired by Doom when creating this game but in my mind it’s a different theme and game!
Gloom Deluxe is one of the best Amiga games because it is a fantastic 3D FPS game.
Gloom Deluxe or Gloom runs on any Amiga with 1MB or more. The Gloom Deluxe version works perfectly on 68030 or higher with support for VR i-glasses from ESCOM even. It is the 3D FPS game that simply works on most Amiga setups. But it’s not only that’s what’s genius about this game. It is the whole package you get of a game.
Gloom for Amiga is what I would describe as a gem for the platform. Instead of giving it that Doom alike rumor. Gloom deserves to be set in its own place. It’s a game that made me love the Amiga platform.
Gameplay
The title Gloom is the only part that is alike to the Doom name. The rest of the game is so different in my view. You could say that Gloom is Wolfenstein 3D with Doom textures, but then it would be wrong to say it is a Wolfenstein 3D clone too.
In Gloom Deluxe you control a soldier as a single-player or together with a friend on the same screen or by using a network cable. You can also play the game in Deathmatch levels but that’s not the best part of Gloom. When playing the game with a friend, you can actually go through all of the levels together helping each other. It is fun! And the best part is that this doesn’t slow down the game even on 68030.
Gloom Deluxe supports Joysticks and Keyboards when playing. You can also use an Amiga CD32 pad too. The gameplay in Gloom Deluxe is full of adrenaline. It is fun. The way you upgrade your weapon and how you solve the various puzzles together with the action is genius. Also, I can never forget the mini-games in Gloom that must be seen. The FPS rate is also high on 68030 or higher. This game got No slowdowns in fullscreen on the same hardware as in Genetic Species and it still looks impressive. Gloom deserves to be on this list. No questions asked.
If there is one Amiga game that works in a 3D maze of monsters to shoot, then it has to be Gloom Deluxe.
Graphics
The 3D textures, enemies, title screens, and graphics effects all add up to a fantastic 3D FPS game on the Amiga. Gloom Deluxe looks as good on 68030 as on 68060 in full screen. There are a few Gloom sequels but they don’t match up in style as Gloom Deluxe does. Still today the graphics look really great I think.
Gloom Deluxe works on AGA or RTG screens. You can play it on your Vampire or Warp Amiga too.
The art and feel of the game are top. Many was thinking that Amiga couldn’t do 3D but Gloom Deluxe made a 3D game fun on the Amiga platform without a decrease in gameplay performance. Gloom scores a lot because of that.
Sound
I was amazed when I heard the title screen music for the first time and still today it blows any PC 3D FPS game. It amazed me then and still now. The level title loading picture music is also perfect. I just let it play as I really want to let the game take me into its atmosphere.
There isn’t any music in the gameplay itself, however, all of the sound effects add up for that. All of the enemies got their voices and movements covered with different effects. I love the ghosts especially when you meet them. The sound in Gloom Deluxe is also what makes the game one of the best Amiga games of all time. Paula does its job. I love Gloom Deluxe so much more than Doom or even Alien Breed 3D just because of the sounds in the game.
Sound in Gloom Deluxe is one of the point reasons for me to love this game. A true masterpiece.
Overall
Gloom Deluxe is simply in the list of best Amiga games because it is the best 3D FPS game for Amiga and it is only available for the Amiga platform. It is a gem that shouldn’t be overlooked. For what you get, you get a lot with this game.
Doom is a fantastic game that I really love. I’ve played it so much in my life. Same with Quake and its sequels. But Gloom Deluxe gives that extra kick. This is a fantastic 3D FPS shooter. The atmosphere and the gameplay combine all the important forces for making a game great in my mind.
#3 – Superfrog
If there is a platformer for Amiga that deserves to be mentioned it is this title from Team 17. The gameplay and control are unbeaten. It is also a fast platformer without glitches. The music used in the game could be described as a level of perfection.
Superfrog platformer is one of the few platformers for Amiga with a real twist plot. It means that the connection to the game is more original. Team 17 also made Worms, but Superfrog is the Amiga platformer. It shows that Amiga didn’t need a Mario or Sonic. Superfrog is seen as an Amiga game even though it was ported to other platforms. The new Android and PS3 version of the game doesn’t match up to the feel that the Amiga version got.
Gameplay
From the moment you control the main character in Superfrog, you can feel that the gameplay been priority number one. The gameplay system in Superfrog just nails it. Jumping, crouching, running and powerups such as flying wings play smoothly and responsive on any Amiga that can play Superfrog.
The enemies are easy to jump on or shoot at. You have to figure out how to shoot correctly and you will be able to go through the game faster. As with any platform games from that era, the game itself is harder than games made today. Superfrog got sensible gameplay and shows that this Amiga game is a serious version of the game.
Playing the game with a proper joystick is fun! You will be rewarded for better handling of the character. This is one of the Amiga best games ever made!
Graphics
Superfrog plays super smooth on any Amiga with 1MB of RAM or more. The size of the game seems not to be a reason for cutting down on the graphics. However, the harsh reality is that platformers such as Hard ‘N Heavy that only needs 512KB RAM do have parallax scrolling that Superfrog lacks. But this is the Amiga best games list. So, even though the graphics aren’t top-notch the quality of what is served is outstanding.
All of the graphics in Superfrog are super cute. You get a happy feeling playing the game and that’s its intention to I believe. The animations of the main character and the enemies are the best in any platformer for Amiga. They remind me a bit of Zool though today but Zool fails so much in the steering and gameplay that Superfrog wins so much on. As an early 90s game, Superfrog graphics are great. Together with the playability of the game, it wins my heart totally as one of the Amiga best games ever made.
Sound
If there is a thing that Superfrog nails besides its great playability it is its sound! The music and sound effects in the game are absolutely stunning. I even go as far as saying it is one of the 2D platformer’s best ever music added together with Sonic and Super Mario World. Those that deny this have never connected their Amiga’s to a HiFi while playing.
Paula chipset of the Amiga does magical things to games and Superfrog nails that! This is the best Amiga sound on any platformer made I think. It’s an adventure itself to jump and run while listening to Superfrog’s music. Perfection! And one of the reasons that I never get tired of playing the game.
Overall
Discussions about which Amiga platformer is the best been discussed all the time. But the fact is that Superfrog is the most polished platformer game ever made for the Amiga platform. Team 17 did a perfect job with the box layout, intro, and the game itself. If you play the game version for Amiga without seeing the intro that is made by Eric Schwartz then you will become a lost soul wandering around.
I never got the same love when playing Oscar, Zool, James Pond, or Giana Sisters. I never got the feeling of wanting to play them again and again and again like with Superfrog. It is a product that I am proud of presenting as the best amiga game. It is unique and loveable. It’s Superfrog!
#4 – Payback
The Amiga dream was to get a Grand Theft Auto type of game. It took a while as Payback came in 2001. But when it came, I never looked at it as a GTA copy but a GTA-inspired game with tons of typical Amiga humor and love. I played it on my 68030 with lots of slowdowns but when I got 68060 it changed totally for me.
Payback is a game for Amiga that supports both Classic and Nextgen Amiga. It is those Amiga games that really reward you for upgrading your Classic Amiga to a high-end system. It feels good to have it installed and the fact that there is a fantastic level editor with it. Makes the game even more fun to play and you can share the level creations with others. Making Payback a long-lasting game.
This is a GTA inspired game that is just better.
Gameplay
With 68060 it is fun to play. Both on AGA or on RTG. The movements of the cards are interesting in that you have so much more control over your vehicle when driving. To slide and break is really fun. Entering vehicles and picking up packs is easy. Walking, driving, or flying is fun!
The way you throw hand grenade is so Amiga-ish in the feeling. Shooting is a fantastic feeling. Much better than in GTA in my view. It reminds me of Tanks and Worm’s type of firing. Also, the speed variations between the variety of vehicles you drive are noticeable as in GTA.
A great + is also the map showing where you are. It actually shows the entire map! I love that.
Graphics
The presentation of the game, intro, menus, and the overall 3D textures of the game are awesome. It feels like a commercial game for Amiga that is way too underrated. Payback got released in 2001 which means it was released at a time when more Amiga people had upgraded their Classic Amiga machines for handling such games as Payback is better.
The car textures in the game, however, could be a bit better. But I can’t complain. It works and together with fluid gameplay it’s nothing that hurts the best Amiga game experience view at all.
Sound
All of the sound effects are great. They are fun and work nicely with the gameplay. The blood splatter sound, explosions, and overall all effects make the game fun. However, it lacks some Amiga touch to the sound. Breathless is a fantastic 3D FPS game for Amiga that I haven’t put into the best Amiga games list but it does feature sound effects and awesome atmospheric music for each level played. Payback could have that too!
The lack of a music track while playing falls into the same category as Gloom Deluxe. It doesn’t hurt the overall feel for the game at all. Audio CD music comes with the game, but it’s not the same.
Overall
Payback is fun! It’s playable and it is way more fun than its rumors say about it. Most x-Amigan haven’t played Payback as they left the scene many years before this game got released for the platform. But this is one of the best Amiga games made. Lots of action like in GTA where you follow the story or you can be a maniac having a killing spree.
The quality feels that this game gives total and the fact that it was released 6 years after the demise of Commodore shows even a bigger achievement too.
#5 – MYST
Released in 1997 for Amiga AGA and RTG. It is playable on both Classic and Nextgen Amiga. I put MYST port to the Amiga in this list as MYST for the platform was the first game that broke the 68030 required game barrier for real. MYST for Amiga showed that 3D images, Music, Sound effects, and QuickTime animations used in the game at the same time work on Amiga.
MYST is in my view one of the best games ever released. Being one of the very first mass-produced CD-ROM games. ClickBOOM finally made it available for the Amiga platform even with turbulent issues around the release of the game.
This is one of the best Amiga games ever! It doesn’t work on a 68000 OCS Amiga, but it is a marvelous production showing that Amiga AGA is fully capable of showing such a game in full glory. By using HAM and converting some of the animations to ANIM format I am sure that MYST could have been made for 1MB 68000 systems too.
Gameplay
This is a point-and-click game. You click where you go. You interact, watch videos and solve puzzles. MYST is genius in its gameplay simplicity.
The mouse pointer in MYST changes during the gameplay. You can interact the pointer with maps and the books you need to read to solve the puzzles. On 68030 Amiga AGA, it works out of the box! The QuickTime videos play nicely with the ClickBOOM made QT player, which impresses me so much.
Just because ClickBOOM released the game late and had issues regarding the development. That doesn’t mean that the product is bad. I am really happy playing MYST on the Amiga as I’ve been playing it on my Mac, my PC, or even on Android. It is fluid!
Graphics
To play this game on Amiga AGA and on RTG is no different. The quality is the same and that’s something no other Amiga game has achieved until now. Most RTG games look better because of higher resolutions. But the difference between AGA and RTG is minimal, which is great.
I love how the graphics just show up as they should without any flaws. In this best Amiga guide, I am covering Amiga as a computer from the time it arrived by Commodore until now so it’s important criteria for being the best Amiga game I think. Also even though the game is made in 1993, the graphics of MYST doesn’t age. The fiction vibe of the island is just perfect. I have tested realMYST where you can walk all over the island in 3D. It’s fun but it loses the plot of the game being click and point game. Keep what the original game made it good!
Sound
MYST for Amiga supports AHI and so it supports so much. You can have 14-bit Paula sound or 16-bit through any soundcard that is connected that is supported by AHI. The sound is perfect even on just plain Paula 8-bit setups too. MYST was the first game that really showed what Paula soundchip from 1985 can do.
The music, sound effects and audio overall in MYST is awesome but the fact that Paula plays everything so nicely shows my heart that with some effort. Commodore could have done so much more when they were alive.
Overall
MYST is on this list because it is a milestone in achievements for Amiga as a computer platform. It plays, looks awesome and the atmosphere is beyond anything on the Amiga. If the Amiga actually died in 1994, I would for sure choose another title. But Amiga lives today together with Vampires, Morphs, and Warps.
This game is perfect for Mac and PC. On the Amiga, it is too. The release for Amiga meant more to Amiga users than you might know. Bypass the issues that the game development had and I am so thankful for having this title on the Amiga. Period!
This list is my view only. Everyone got their all time Amiga games favorites. For me it is important to show my connection with the games that were released for Amiga. These are the all time best Amiga games that was released for Amiga. Many of the games coming out after 1994 isn’t taken into the consideration even as for many Amiga died in 1994. It didn’t!
Amiga community makes sure that the platform is a Survivor for a long time. The community is making sure that there is development on the software and hardware side. No conflicts will block that. As long as there is love for the platform, it will live forever.
