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List of self-booting IBM PC compatible games

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Many IBM PC compatible games released between 1981 and about 1990 were self-booting and did not use MS-DOS, IBM PC DOS, or compatible disk operating systems. The phrase "IBM PC compatible self-booting disk" is sometimes shortened to "PC booter". Self-booting disks were common for other computers as well.

These games were distributed on 5+14" or, later, 3+12", floppy disks that booted directly, meaning once they were inserted in the drive and the computer was turned on, a minimal, custom operating system on the diskette took over. This was used as a form of copy protection[citation needed] until it became obsolete as games grew larger. Due to bit rot, original working versions of these floppy disks are rare. Some have been ported to other operating systems.

Title Released Genre Publisher/developer
3-K Trivia 1984 Strategy IBM
Ace of Aces 1986 Combat flight simulator Accolade / Artech
Agent USA 1984 Adventure / strategy Scholastic / Tom Snyder Productions
Alley Cat 1984 Platform IBM / Synapse Software
The Alpine Encounter 1985 Adventure Random House
Amnesia 1986 Adventure Electronic Arts
Apple Panic 1982 Platform Broderbund
Archon: The Light and the Dark 1984 Strategy Electronic Arts / Free Fall Associates
Attack On Altair 1983 Action Windmill Software
Bannercatch 1984 Action Scholastic
Battlezone 1983 Action Atarisoft
B.C.'s Quest for Tires 1984 Action Sierra On-line / Sydney Development
Below the Root 1984 Adventure Windham Classics / Dale Disharoon
Beneath Apple Manor 1983 RPG Quality Software
Beyond Castle Wolfenstein 1984 Stealth Muse Software
Big Top 1983 Platform Funtastic / Michael Abrash
The Black Cauldron 1986 Adventure Sierra On-line
Borrowed Time 1985 Adventure Activision / Interplay
Boulder Dash 1984 Puzzle First Star Software
Boulder Dash II 1985 Puzzle First Star Software
Bruce Lee 1984 Platform Datasoft
Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom 1984 Action Sega
Buggy Ranger 1988 Arcade Dinamic Software / Iron Byte
BurgerTime 1983 Platform Mattel Electronics
Buzzard Bait 1983 Fixed Shooter SIRIUS
Centipede 1983 Action Atarisoft
Championship Lode Runner 1984 Platform Broderbund Software
Chess88 1984 Board game Unknown
Climber 5 1987 Platform COMPUTE! Publications
Commando 1987 Run and gun Quicksilver / Data East
Conflict in Vietnam 1986 Simulation MicroProse
Congo Bongo 1984 Isometric platformer Sega
Conquest 1983 Platform Windmill Software
Cosmic Crusader 1982 Fixed shooter Funtastic / Michael Abrash
Crossfire 1982 Action Sierra On-Line
Crusade in Europe 1985 Simulation MicroProse
Crypto Cube 1983 Puzzle DesignWare
Cutthroats 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
Cyborg 1982 Interactive fiction Sentient / Softsmith
Czorian Siege 1983 Action Computer Applications Unlimited / Howard W. Sams
Deadline 1982 Interactive fiction Infocom
Decision in the Desert 1985 Simulation MicroProse
Defender 1983 Scrolling shooter Atarisoft
Defender of the Crown 1987 Strategy game Master Designer Software / Mirrorsoft
Demon Attack 1982 Fixed shooter Imagic
Demon's Forge 1987 Adventure Saber Software
Destroyer 1986 Simulation Epyx
Dig Dug 1982 Maze Atarisoft
Digger 1983 Action Windmill Software
Donald Duck's Playground 1986 Educational Sierra On-Line
Donkey Kong 1982 Platform Atarisoft
Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One 1983 Sports Electronic Arts
Dunjonquest: Morloc's Tower 1983 Dungeon crawl Epyx / Automated Simulations
Earthly Delights 1983 Adventure Datamost
Eden Blues 1987 Adventure ERE Informatique
Enchanter 1986 Interactive fiction Infocom
Evolution 1982 Action Sydney Development Corp.
Executive Suite 1982 Life simulation Armonk Corporation
The Exterminator 1982 Action Nufekop / Bubble Bus
F-15 Strike Eagle 1984 Combat flight simulator MicroProse
FaceMaker 1982 Educational DesignWare / Spinnaker
Five-a-Side Indoor Soccer 1986 Sports Mastertronic Group
Fleet Sweep 1983 Action Mirror Images
Floppy Frenzy 1982 Action Windmill Software
Forbidden Castle 1985 Adventure Angelsoft / Mindscape
Forbidden Quest 1983 Adventure Pryority Software
The Fourth Protocol 1985 Adventure Electronic Pencil Company / Hutchinson Computer Publishing
Freddy Fish 1983 Action Mirror Images
Freddy Hardest 1988 Platform Dinamic Software
Freddy Hardest in South Manhattan 1989 Platform Dinamic Software/ Iron Byte
FriendlyWare P.C. Action 1983 Action FriendlySoft
FriendlyWare PC Introductory Set 1983 Action FriendlySoft
Frogger 1983 Action Sierra On-Line
Frogger II: ThreeeDeep! 1984 Action Sega
Full Count Baseball 1984 Sports Lance Haffner Games
Galactic Gladiators 1983 Tactical combat Strategic Simulations
Galaxian 1983 Fixed shooter Atarisoft
Game Over 1987 Run and gun Dinamic Software / Imagine Software
Game Over II 1987 Shoot em' up Dinamic Software
Gamma Force in Pit of a Thousand Screams 1988 Interactive fiction Tom Snyder Productions / Infocom
Ghostbusters 1986 Miscellaneous Activision
Gremlins 1984 Fixed shooter Atarisoft
Guerrilla War 1987 Run and gun Quicksilver / Data East
Hacker II: The Doomsday Papers 1986 Puzzle / strategy Activision
Hard Hat Mack 1984 Platform game Electronic Arts
Harrier Combat Simulator 1987 Simulation Mindscape
HellCat Ace 1984 First person shooter MicroProse
High Stakes 1986 Card game Angelsoft / Mindscape
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
The Hobbit 1983 Interactive fiction Beam Software / Melbourne House
The Holy Grail 1984 Adventure Hayden Software
I, Damiano: The Wizard of Partestrada 1985 Interactive fiction Imagic / Bantam Software
Ikari Warriors 1987 Run and gun Quicksilver / Data East
Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road 1988 Run and gun Quicksilver / Data East
Indianapolis 500: The Simulation 1989 Racing Electronic Arts
Infidel 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
International Hockey 1987 Sports Artworx / Superior Quality Software
J-Bird 1983 Puzzle Orion Software
James Bond 007: Goldfinger 1986 Interactive fiction Angelsoft / Mindscape
Jet 1985 Simulation Sublogic
John Elway's Quarterback 1988 Sports Leland / Melbourne House
Joust 1983 Platform Atarisoft
Jumpman 1984 Platform / puzzle Epyx, IBM
Jungle Hunt 1983 Action Atarisoft
Karnov 1989 Platform Quicksilver / Data East
Kindercomp 1983 Educational Spinnaker
King's Quest: Quest for the Crown 1984 Adventure Sierra On-Line
King's Quest II: Romancing the Throne 1985 Adventure Sierra On-Line
Kobyashi Naru 1987 Adventure Mastertronic
Lane Mastodon vs. the Blubbermen 1988 Adventure Tom Snyder Productions / Infocom
Livingstone supongo 1987 Action Opera Soft
Livingstone supongo II 1989 Action Opera Soft
Lock-On 1987 First person shooter Tatsumi Electronics, Data East
Lode Runner 1983 Platform / puzzle Broderbund / Ariolasoft
M.U.L.E. 1983 Strategy Electronic Arts, K-Byte
Marble Madness 1986 Platform / racing Broderbund, Ariolasoft
Master Miner 1983 Action Funtastic
Math Maze 1983 Racing DesignWare
Metropolis 1987 Simulation Arcadia Systems, Melbourne House
MicroLeague Baseball 1984 Sports MicroLeague
Microsoft Adventure 1981 Interactive fiction Microsoft, IBM
Microsoft Decathlon 1982 Sports Microsoft, IBM
Microsoft Flight Simulator 1.0 1982 Simulation Sublogic / Microsoft
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2.0 1984 Simulation Sublogic / Microsoft
Mindshadow 1984 Adventure Interplay / Activision
Mine Shaft 1983 Puzzle Sierra On-Line, IBM
Miner 2049er 1983 Platform Big Five Software / Micro Fun
Montezuma's Revenge 1984 Platform BCI Software
Moon Bugs 1983 Action Windmill Software
Moon Patrol 1983 Scrolling shooter Atarisoft
Morloc's Tower 1983 Adventure Automated Simulations
Mouser 1983 Platform / puzzle Gebelli Software, IBM
Ms. Pac-Man 1983 Maze Atarisoft
Mundial de Fútbol 1990 Sports Opera Sports, Opera Soft
Murder on the Zinderneuf 1984 Adventure Free Fall Associates, Electronic Arts
Narco Police 1989 Action / shooter Iron Byte, Dinamic Software
Night Mission Pinball 1982 Pinball Sublogic
Night Stalker 1983 Maze Mattel Electronics
Oil's Well 1984 Maze Sierra On-Line
Pac-Man 1983 Maze Atarisoft
Paratrooper 1982 Shooter Greg Kuperberg, Orion Software
PC Arcade 1983 Action Friendlysoft
PC Pool 1983 Sports Hesware, IBM
PC Pool Challenges 1984 Sports Hesware, IBM
PC-Man 1982 Maze Orion Software
Pinball Construction Set 1985 Pinball Electronic Arts
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns 1984 Platform Activision
Pitstop II 1984 Racing Synergistic Software, Epyx
Planetfall 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
Portal 1986 RPG Nexa Corporation, Activision
Prowler 1987 Simulation Icon Design Ltd., Mastertronic
Psi-5 Trading Company 1986 Strategy Accolade
Rasterscan 1987 Puzzle Binary Design, Mastertronic
Rescue at Rigel 1983 RPG Epyx
Rescate en el Golfo 1991 Shooter Opera Soft
River Raid 1984 Scrolling shooter Activision
Robotron: 2084 1983 Fixed shooter Atarisoft
Rockford 1988 Arcade Arcadia Systems
Rollo and the Brush Bros. 1983 Puzzle Windmill Software
Satan 1990 Platform Dinamic Software
ScubaVenture 1983 Action Gebelli Software, IBM
Seastalker 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
Serpentine 1982 Action Broderbund
Sol Negro 1988 Arcade Opera Soft
The Seven Cities of Gold 1987 Adventure Ozark Softscape, Electronic Arts
Shamus 1984 Action William Mataga, Synapse Software
Sherlock Holmes: Another Bow 1985 Adventure Imagic, Bantam Software
Sid Meier's Pirates! 1987 Action / adventure MicroProse
Sidewinder 1988 Shoot em' up Synergistic Software, Arcadia Systems
Sierra Championship Boxing 1985 Sports Evryware, Sierra On-Line
Silent Service 1986 Submarine simulator MicroProse
The Slugger 1988 Sports Ocean Software, Mastertronic
Snack Attack II 1982 Maze Funtastic
Solo Flight 1983 Simulation MicroProse
Solomon's Key 1988 Puzzle U.S. Gold
Sorcerer 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
Space Strike 1982 Action Michael Abrash, Datamost
Spellicopter 1983 Edutainment DesignWare
Spiderbot 1988 Platform Addictive Games, Epyx
Spitfire Ace 1984 Flying shooter MicroProse
Spy Hunter 1984 Vehicular combat Sega
Starcross 1982 Interactive fiction Infocom
Stargate 1983 Scrolling shooter Atarisoft
Storm 1987 Puzzle Mastertronic
Strategy Games 1983 Strategy IBM
Styx 1983 Puzzle Windmill Software
Sub Mission 1987 Shooter Tom Snyder Productions, Mindscape
Summer Games II 1986 Sports Epyx
Super Boulder Dash 1986 Action First Star Software, Electronic Arts
Super Football Sunday 1985 Sports Quest / Avalon Hill
Super Zaxxon 1984 Shoot em' up Sega
Suspect 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
Suspended 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
Tag Team Wrestling 1985 Sports Quicksilver / Data East
Tapper 1983 Action Bally Midway
Tass Times in Tonetown 1986 Adventure Brainwave Creations / Interplay, Activision
The Last Mission 1987 Action Opera Soft
Timothy Leary's Mind Mirror 1986 Interactive fiction Futique, Electronic Arts
Touchdown Football 1984 Sports Imagic, IBM
The Tracer Sanction 1984 Adventure Interplay / Activision
Trilogy 1987 Adventure Mastertronic
Trivia 101 1984 Educational Digital Learning Systems, IBM
Troll's Tale 1984 Adventure Sierra On-Line
TV and Cinema 101: Trivia from Talkies to Trekkies 1984 Game show Digital Learning Systems, IBM
Ulysses and the Golden Fleece 1982 Hi-res adventure Sierra On-Line
Up'n Down 1984 Platform Sega Enterprise, Ltd.
Voodoo Island 1985 Interactive fiction Angelsoft / Mindscape
Warrior of Ras: Volume I - Dunzhin 1982 RPG Intelligent Statements Inc., Computer Applications Unlimited
Will Harvey's Music Construction Set 1984 Educational Electronic Arts
Winter Games 1986 Sports Epyx
The Witness 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
Wizard and the Princess 1982 Adventure On-Line Systems
Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord 1984 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizardry II: The Knight of Diamonds 1985 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizardry III: Legacy of Llylgamyn 1986 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna 1987 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom 1988 RPG Sir-Tech
Wizball 1987 Shoot 'em up Sensible Software, Ocean Software
Word Spinner 1984 Educational The Learning Company
World Games 1986 Sports K-Byte / Epyx
World Karate Championship 1986 Fighting Epyx / System 3
The World's Greatest Baseball Game 1985 Sports Quest Inc., Epyx
Zaxxon 1984 Action Sega
Zork: The Great Underground Empire 1982 Interactive fiction Infocom
Zork II: The Wizard of Frobozz 1983 Interactive fiction Infocom
Zork III: The Dungeon Master 1984 Interactive fiction Infocom
ZorkQuest: Assault on Egreth Castle 1988 Adventure Tom Snyder Productions / Infocom
ZorkQuest: The Crystal of Doom 1989 Adventure Tom Snyder Productions / Infocom
Zyll 1984 Interactive fiction IBM

See also

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