La-Mulana (Also: General freeware thread)

[jman2050]

http://agtp.romhack.net/lamulana.html - Link to game and translation

All I'll say is it's Metroid crossed with Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider, heavily made to look like an old MSX game. And it's awesome. Totally and completely hard as crap though. I recommend reading the manual first, as the game doesn't do a lot to help you along by itself.

If the translation patch doesn't translate the manual for some reason, you can download a translated copy here (http://www.cgi101.com/~jman2050/la-mulana_manual.zip)

Have fun, and post other good freeware games you know of here.

[The_Amaster]

Cool! This games pretty sweet. It's a lot like Castlevania too.

Oh oh, I have one.

http://www.zeldaclassic.com

See, it's called Zelda Classic, and it's this awsome free program that lets you make your own Zelda games. One of the best programs I ever downloded.

[AlexMax]

Oh oh, I have one.

http://www.zeldaclassic.com


what

*ahem*

On the other hand, free games are my specialty, I love trying out random games, and I've got about a half dozen up my sleeve at any given time:

Cave Story (http://www.gameflaws.com/cavestory/): A really cool freeware game in the vein of Metroid. Has really nice stylized graphics, awesome music, and gets really difficult too.
War§ow: (http://www.warsow.net[/url): Imagine a cross between Quake 3 and Jet Set Radio, and you get something like this. This game was designed with competition in mind, but it's got the potential to be a plain ol' good game in general as well, though it's not quite pubbie-friendly yet (that should come with 0.3 when Clan Arena gets implemented).
Continuum (http://www.getcontinuum.com/): The origional Massively Multiplayer space shooter. With the capability to host hundreds of players per server, and still going strong, it's amazing that the first incarnation of the game came out over ten years ago.
Tremulous (http://tremulous.net/): Another spin on the timless Space Marines vs. Aliens motif, this one happens to be free. It also won the moddb standalone game of the year award, so it's a pretty damn good game too.
Battle for Wesnoth (http://www.wesnoth.org/): An open source hex-based wargame that's surprisingly easy to learn, understand and play. Offers internet play and an in-depth scenerio editor.
Spring (http://spring.clan-sy.com/): An open-source RTS game based loosely on Total Annihilation, you can even download mods which play almost exactly like TA itself. Reguardless, games in this tend to end with nuclear explosions and giant walking mechs everywhere. Eat your heart out Starcraft.

[Tygore]

Hey, I was going to do the ZC one! Oh well.

http://www.herculeaneffort.com/
The "Apprentice" games are really fun (no, they have nothing to do with Donald Trump), point-and-click adventure games reminiscent of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, etc. They have a, uh, "not free" game called Super Jazz Man that I haven't played, but the Apprentices are free.

I can also confirm that the Battle for Wesnoth is pretty cool. I've messed around with the map editor and its really simple to use.

http://lotgd.net
Legend of the Green Dragon, a free browser game that I'm pretty sure I discovered on a similar AGN thread from several years back. My account has expired (they're a little too strict on wipes if you ask me), but otherwise a very fun game.

[mrz84]

Try Dragon Court. It's sorta like WoW, but free and you can't go around together in a party. There's still guildes and stuff, but There's no limit to what you can do really with your character.

[Modus Ponens]

So I downloaded Cave Story, like suggested by AlexMax. Whoa, okay? It's an exquisite gem and I adore it.

[DarkDragoonX]

Cave Story is a spectacular game. Tons of secrets to find, as well... you'll be playing through several times, I can guarantee that.

Adding to the list...

SHMUPS

Warning Forever (http://www18.big.or.jp/~hikoza/Prod/index_e.html) - An excellent game where you fight against an undefeatable "boss" ship that evolves every time you destroy it... very fun.
rRootage (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/windows/rr_e.html) - A fun abstract shmup that pits you against many fearsome bosses. Has several different gameplay types.
noiz2sa (http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cs8k-cyu/windows/noiz2sa_e.html) - From the creator of rRootage. An abstract manic shmup.

Beat 'em Ups

Streets of Rage Remake (http://www.bombergames.net/sorr_e.htm) - I can't reccomend this highly enough. Very well-done game, which perfectly captures the gameplay o the originals.
Beats of Rage (http://www.senileteam.com/) - Sort of a hybrid of Streets of Rage/Final Fight with King of Fighters characters. Very fun. Also, keep an eye out for Age of the Beast, which looks to be amazing.

Platformers

Poyo (http://lazrael.avalanchestudios.net/crap/Poyo_Official_1.zip) - A great platformer. Jump and warp your way to the end of each stage.
Lyle in Cube Sector (http://www.sitesled.com/members/bogo/lyle.html) - Combine metroid with the box-throwing antics of the NES Rescue Rangers game and this is what you get. Quite entertaining.
N (http://www.harveycartel.org/metanet/n.html) - Lode Runner as a ninja on crack. What more needs be said?

Other stuff

Future Pinball (http://www.futurepinball.com/) - A pinball table creation kit, that, of course, allows you to play the tables you design. Great physics, and tons of tables already out there to try.
Gate 88 (http://www.queasygames.com/gate88/) - A fun overhead space shooter/ RTS. Has online/network play, too!
Gearhead and Gearhead 2 (http://gearhead.roguelikedevelopment.org/) - A pair of Roguelikes, with mecha instead of high fantasy. Suck it, you stupid elves.
Seiklus (http://www.autofish.net/clysm/art/video_games/seiklus/) - Hard to describe... explore a strange planet and try to find your way home!
Knytt (http://knytt.ni2.se/) - Similar to Seiklus, but easier, and )in my opinion) a bit more focused.

I'll post some more stuff later... but this should hold you for a while!

[The_Amaster]

Awww man, the link to Future Pinball is broken. And I really want that progrma too. All google results just link back ot the broken link.

Oh, here: http://play-free-online-games.com/
Great MMORPG directory.
Around which 50% are totally free, and another 10-20 are "Play indefinalty, with pay for additional features"
Not sure if it goes here, tho.

Awwww, I want Future Pinbaaaaalll.

EDIT:Wierd, the link fixed itself in like 5 minuites.

[{DSG}DarkRaven]

1213 (http://www.fullyramblomatic.com/1213/)- A psychological adventure, says the web page. Much akin to the first generation Prince of Persia games, with a fantastic plot and flow that leads up to a dynamite ending.

Mono (http://www.binaryzoo.com/games/mono/)- A simple but brilliantly executed Shmup that is, according to the web page, part asteroids, part robotron, part paint shop pro. It's addictive, colorful fun.

AcidBomb (http://www.vertigogaming.net/acidbomb.htm)- A clever game that puts you into the shoes of a bomb diffusal expert. A challenging puzzle game with a random element that makes every replay unique. This game might literally have you sweating at times.


Also, Warning Forever is incredible fun, and I challenge anyone to get past level 21, which is my record.

[4matsy]

*/me searches through his massive c:\games directory...*

The Bub's Bros. (http://bub-n-bros.sourceforge.net/)
It's Bubble Bobble.
With 10 players.
Over the internet.
Yes, it's every bit as awesome as it sounds.
...If your connection is any good. :sweat:

BurgerTimes (http://webpages.charter.net/burgertime/btime/burgertimes.htm)
Burgertime clone (well duh :p) with a heaping load of levels (50 or so), Intellivision-style graphics, and 2-simultaneous-player netplay. W00t.

Rockman: The Mega Wars (http://www.freewebs.com/best_quality/gamemakergames.htm)
Think Power Battle/Power Fighters, only NES style. :D
(Warning, Freewebs link. Time to try copying and pasting into the address bar. :p)

Cube and Sauerbraten (http://wouter.fov120.com/cube)
Probably the most-well known free first-person shooters. Can't believe no one's mentioned them yet. :laughing:

Liero Xtreme (http://www.lierox.net) and Gusanos (http://gusanos.sourceforge.net)
Probably the most-well known Liero clones. There's just something special about tiny lil' worms BLOWING SHIT UP. :D

Eggerland Episode 0: Quest of Lala (http://home.houston.rr.com/cbfinch/eggerland/win.htm)
Eggerland/Adventures of Lolo for Windows. By HAL themselves, no less. :)
It's actually a demo/beta/test of Revival! Eggerland, which was released commercially about 4 years later (but only in Japan; I hear it's hard to find even over there :unhappy:).
The links page of Charlie Finch's Lolo site (http://home.houston.rr.com/cbfinch/eggerland/links.htm) has a few links to Japanese sites with lots of user-made levels.

Super Mario War (http://smw.72dpiarmy.com)
Deathmatch-style Super Mario: kill opponents by jumping on their heads, or with Mario items.
I just wish they'd hurry up and put in some netplay though...right now, it's only good for bot practice, or if you have some friends around. :unhappy:

Daedalus (http://www.astrolog.org/labyrnth/daedalus.htm)
It's a simple maze generator...but with all sorts of added stuff. You can make many different types of mazes, walk through them in a 3D view, etc.

Deadly Rooms of Death: Architects' Edition (http://drod.caravelgames.com)
Nice lil' puzzle game.
You have to kill all the monsters in each room. But since it's turn-based, and one hit kills you, and there are a decent number of differently-behaving enemies, and it's not at all difficult to get surrounded, there's quite a bit of thinking involved. :p

Quadra (http://quadra.sourceforge.net), Gravytris (http://www.gravytris.de), Heboris (http://www.tetrisconcept.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=255), DTET (http://www.tetrisconcept.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50), and Lockjaw (http://www.pineight.com/lj)
The best Tetris clones, in my opinion anyway. :rolleyes:
(Heboris and DTET are Japanese creations, and the homepages are written in said language; and DTET isn't distributed on the main site anymore anyway. So I'm instead linking to the Tetrisconcept.com forum threads discussing them. Just read the threads, you'll find out how to get 'em eventually. :p)
Quadra is basically Tetris with realistic gravity--any piece that isn't being held up will fall, possibly creating a chain reaction that clears more than 4 lines. (Highest I've seen is 20. :odd:) 8-player netplay is therefore quite hectic, with everybody sending lines left and right. :D
Gravytris is...strange. There's a lot of innovative new features (rotating the pieces on the Y and Z axis, not just the X...using your currently falling piece to push aside misdropped pieces that still have room to move...a gravity gun that you can use to pick up pieces already on the field...), and a lot of different gameplay modes too (some similar to Tetris DS, from what I hear :odd:).
Heboris is similar to Arika's "Tetris: the Grand Master" series of arcade games. The original author of Heboris quit work on it a few years ago, but as the game was programmed in a scripting language, other block-stacking fans have since heavily modified it to introduce many more features, most from the later TGM games.
DTET is another good one, with the controls and play geared toward experts. The distribution floating around comes with a bunch of recordings; be absolutely sure to watch neta's vids, but have a change of pants handy, as you're gonna lose something in them. :laughing:
Lockjaw is Damian Yerrick's option-loaded world domination project. :p It's designed to mimic just about any official Tetris game you can think of, by tweaking the settings appropriately. It's still in somewhat early stages, but no doubt it'll be awesome once it's finished. :D

Nebulous (http://toppler.sourceforge.net)
Remember Nebulus/Tower Toppler/Castelian?
Yeah.
Standard Clone With Purty Graphics And Level Editor (tm). :p

Armagetron Advanced (http://www.armagetronad.net)
Remember the movie Tron?
Remember the lightcycle sequence, which has since spawned such classics as Surround and Snake/Nibbles?
Okay...now imagine it with netplay. And you can speed up by driving close to your or other players' walls.
...Yeah. It rocks. :p

BZFlag (http://www.bzflag.org)
The old tank game Battlezone meets first-person shooters. :p You drive your tank around and kill enemy tanks with your SLOW CIRCULAR BULLETS OF DOOM.

One Must Fall 2097 (http://www.omf.com/diversions/index.html)
Classic Street Fighter clone, now released as freeware.
Except...this one has ROBOTS. YES.
And a nice tournament mode where you can upgrade your 'bot by winning fights. And stuff.
Also, check out Robyrt's videos of combo ass-kickery (http://robyrt.coolserver.net/omf2097.html).

Press Your Luck Expert Edition (http://pylee.robertsearcy.info)
Clone of said game show. It is win. ;)

Grand Unified Game (http://galactanet.com/guginst.htm)
Simple little puzzle/platformer game similar to Lost Vikings.
Using the unique abilities of Mario, Pac-Man, Dig Dug, and that dude from Joust, you must get all 4 characters to the level exit. :p Lots of switches and enemies are in the way, of course. PUMPING UP GOOMBAS FTW. :D

Icy Tower (http://www.freelunchdesign.com/games.php)
Climb up a tower, trying to beat the screen scrolling. Do combos by clearing 2+ floors each jump in rapid succession.

Jetpack (http://www.adeptsoftware.com/jetpack)
Another classic puzzle/platformer. Collect all the level's gems and then head for the exit.

Shoujo Attack! (http://www.lemmasoft.net/games_shoujoattack.html)
Lemmings clone using cute anime girls instead of rodents. :naughty:

ZZT (http://www.zzt.belsambar.net) and MegaZeux (http://www.digitalmzx.net)
For those times when text-mode "graphics" and relatively simple gameplay are all you need. :p

Outgun (http://koti.mbnet.fi/outgun)
Plays like a FPS, but from a top-down view.

JROK's games (http://www.jrok.com/games_orig.html) and CHAMProgramming's games (http://www.champ-em.com)
Clones of famous old arcade games. Pac-Man, Q*Bert, Centipede, Galaga, Donkey Kong...
JROK's games with "PC" in the titles :p are near-exact recreations of the arcade originals, while the CHAMP ones (originally shareware, but CHAMP went out of business, and they're now free) are not quite as accurate but have added modes and stuff. (MsPacPC and CHAMP Ms. Pac-em = win. Just so you know. :D).

Acter World (http://www10.plala.or.jp/bb/zac/actwd_e.html)
Arcadey little platformer. Some have said it resembles Bubble Bobble, but I honestly don't see much of a similarity. :laughing:

Akuji the Demon (http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA025956)
Cute little Castlevania/Metroid-like platformer.
The original version is Japanese, but there's an English patch here (http://www.cinnamonpirate.com/hobby/akuji).

Glace (http://www.tommyvisic.com/Glace) and Within a Deep Forest (http://withinadeepforest.ni2.se)
Oddly enough, these both have similar storylines: blue ball gets accidentally created and rejected by its creator, but ends up saving the world. Similar gameplay too, with emphasis on bouncing...I honestly wonder if one heavily inspired the other. :p

Pekka Kana 2 (http://koti.mbnet.fi/~kiwi/pistegamez/pk2)
Mario-like platformer with a dumbass rooster as the hero and megaphones as weapons. Yeah, it's awesome. :laughing:

Netbattle (http://tvsian.info/netbattle)
LET ME SHOW YOU MY POKEMANS.
Over the net, even.

Donkey Bolonkey (http://www.davidcapello.com.ar/?p=dkbk)
Rat Poker clone, but with donkeys.
Line up 3 or more of the same color donkey, and into the grinder they go. Whee! :D

Drops of Light (http://www.tursiops.cc/drops)
Simple little puzzle game involving color mixing. Get your grid to look like the goal grid by moving RGB components around, but it costs more energy to split cyan/magenta/yellow/white into their individual reds/greens/blues, and you have an energy limit for each level, so you must be careful not to move the pieces too much...

Escape (http://escape.spacebar.org)
Turn-based puzzle game, move boxes onto switches to activate/deactivate lasers that'll kill you.
Auto updates of user levels across the internet, yay. :D

Gartriage (http://www.tont.be/Gartriage/EN)
Another puzzler. Get all the color-coded cargo into the correctly-colored train cars...diagonal tracks, though, present a problem, as the train can only turn 45 degrees at once. :p

PuffBOMB (http://www.sykhronics.com/syk/recent/puff.html)
Using the provided bombs, blow all the hamsters into the goal areas. "BASTAaaaaaaaard..."
(Looks like the guy's working on a new version (http://www.puffbomb.com/), too. :))

Pushover (http://www.jrnetwork.co.uk/ishisoft)
Clone of an SNES game of same name. Push over all the level's dominoes, without leaving any or getting yourself killed. :p

Sokoban YASC (Yet Another Sokoban clone) (http://sourceforge.net/projects/sokobanyasc)
Except this one's highly advanced and all. Built-in solver, skin support, options out the ass, comes with a few thousand levels...:p

GikoParoNeo (http://www.geocities.co.jp/SiliconValley-Oakland/7907/gikoparo.html)
Gradius/Parodius clone using Japanese ASCII-style graphics. (Mona-themed...Giko is the player ship :laughing:)

SkyRoads (http://www.bluemoon.ee/history/skyroads)
Another originally-commercial-now-free classic. You're driving down a road in your spaceship-car thingy, trying not to crash the car or run out of fuel or air.

...oy. I have WAY too much time on my hands. :odd: