User Reviews (1 - 11 of 11)

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"Back in the day..."

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 21
Date: May 18, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I can actually remember playing Eye of the Beholder 2 when it first came out, and Pool of Radiance when it was released for the 8-bit Nintendo system... When I heard this was released (actually, the original Archives), I was excited to see all these games back again. As a matter of fact, my Eye of the Beholder 2 characters are camped and resting as I write this. The games are in their original condition, and just as fun to play as ever. There's definitely enough here for months of fun, and something for everyone. People who are newer to computers might have a little trouble getting used to the interface at first -- it isn't given on a silver platter, and does require some use of the keyboard -- which, personally, is how I prefer a game to be.

These are the best of the best of the old RPGs

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: June 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When I was younger, first getting into RPGs, my mom got me Might and Magic: Darkside of Xeen and a set of AD&D games with Pool of Radiance, Curse of the Azure Bonds, and Secret of the Silver Blades (3 of the 13 games in this set). Unfortunately I was too young to understand the complexities of all of the games, and never ended up getting very far, except in Might and Magic. A few years later I rented Eye of the Beholder (it and its two sequals are in this set) for SNES. I instantly became immersed in the enourmous environment provided, the Sewers of the city of Waterdeep provided great entertainment, and frustration, since there were no people to sell me potions, rations, or weapons. Once again I didn't make it very far, and always had to return the game before I got to the last battle.

Then, about a year ago I was in a certain store when I spoted a shelf of $10, two for one games. I looked through them while waiting for my mom to come from shopping and spotted this set in a smaller box, no instructions, only the decoder for entering some of the games included. But I instantly grabbed it, eagerly anticipating my mom's return so that I could purchase it. I bought it, brought it home, set it up on my older PC, and got right to Eye of the Beholder.

It is now one year later and I have gone through the entire Eye of the Beholder Series, completed Pool of Radiance and Curse of the Azure bonds, and am now working on Secret of the Silver blades. These are great games if you have an older computer (these may be the best games you can buy AND run on it), or even if you don't.

I have to admit, I wasn't happy with Blood and Magic and Hillsfar, but those are only two out of thirteen games (actually, Menzobaranzan doesn't seem to work with my computer, so that brings the total games I won't play to three out of thirteen). These games represent a wonderful range of styles. Eye of the Beholder is mostly like Baldur's gate, except first person (like the old Shadowgate games, or, I suppose, Myst) and with no shops, everything you use is found. Secret of the Silver blades is first person in the same way, untill you get into a battle. Then it goes to an overhead view with true turnbased combat. Blood and Magic is mostly like a strategy game.

If you like modern AD&D games, then this is probably a nice set of games for you. However, if you are new to the series, you should try some of the newer games, such as Baulder's gate and Icewind Dale.

Excellent games, but todays PCs are way too fast

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 17 / 18
Date: May 08, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I have loved these games since I played some of them on a C64 years ago. As they were written for slower PC's, if you have a PC faster than a 486 I would suggest using moslow or something similar, especially in combat. If you can put up with that, there is enough here for months of happy RPGing.

The Golden Age of 1-Player RGS

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: June 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

For those having problems getting many of these games to work on modern computers-- Go to Google or Yahoo and do a search for two things- DosBox and D-Fend. They're both freeware.

Many of these games won't run properly on modern computers but that's where DosBox comes into play. It's a program that pretends it's an old DOS machine and exists only to run other programs (old games like these). It even simulates old sound cards and video modes almost perfeclty. I could go on and on. D-Fend is an excellent front-end for DosBox. If you're going to try DosBox, you'll want D-Fend. Trust me. D-Fend is easy to learn and simlifies things tremendously.

On to the main subject, these old RPGs. Before the days of the massive multiplayer RPGs we had RPGs that were centered around the sole experience of one player.. you. You would create your character or party of characters and off you'd go unto the dark unknown. No petty flame war going on in a general chat or someone discussing the latest movie while you're off in some supposed dark wilderness. It's just you, danger, strange things and nobody else. Although I do play and do like massive multiplayer RPGs, sometimes one just gets more of a feeling of adventure and mystery from some of the RPGs that were intended for the individual rather than a massive audience. If you've played Eye Of The Beholder for any length of time, then you know what I'm talking about. After all these years they're all right here. DosBox and D-Fend makes them all work. The price is worth it for the Eye of The Beholder series alone, but they're certainly not the only goodies in the package.

Old school baby!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 14
Date: September 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I remember playing Pool of Radiance on my Tandy 1000 HX. I love these games even more than some of the new high power games of today! If you are a true RPG fan than these games are for you.

WOW

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: September 10, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This pack has it all... I remember when I played "pool of radience" on my Apple ][ e. If you like roleplaying games will not so spectacular graphics...but a tight storyline "unlike more sophisticated rpg's aka Baldor's Gate" I think this is for you..

price??!!!!??

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 15
Date: November 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

ok... i have this game pack, and i bought it at a gaming boutique in the mall for 14.99, so why is it so much??? it really shouldn't cost this much!! it doesn't even include the book with all of the journal entries and passwords and such..... which still wouldn't cost you more than twenty some dollars...... just thought i'd put my 2 cents in......... cause i saved much more than that at the mall for this game!

This would be better if I could get 3 quarters of the games

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 36
Date: July 02, 2001
Author: Amazon User

to work. Okay I have four computers the first one I ever know with windows 3.5 a pentium 1 with 95 and a laptop with 98 then pentium 3 with Me the first one since it did not have 95 it would have not been the first to try though it had the correct speed. I tried the second computer with this I could not get most of the games to work.

Excited but confounded

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 12
Date: November 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I somehow installed the oldest game of this collection (Pool Of Radiance) yet can not figure out how to install the rest of the games. Judging from some of the other reviews I've read I'm not the only one who has had this problem. I can't believe that the oldest one would work but not the 11 more recent games. Can't anybody provide some advice? I'm on Windows XP.

All the classic D&D games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: January 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

In 1991 I started playing the Pool of Radience and messed with the Pirates in the Bar. The computers back then could not handle the battle and always locked up. I wanted to finish this game and so I bought the package.

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