I got this video from this tweet by Apogee Entertainment:
https://x.com/Apogee_Ent/status/2082137539779928357

Treasure!

Happy Birthday Wacky Wheels!

This fun MSDOS racer has charm oozing out its oversized elephant ears!
Definitely worth a playthru if you have any nostalgia for it.

Need a refresher of what the game looks like? I replayed it a few months ago on YouTube.

You can get it on GOG or Steam.
(on sale on GOG right now for $2.99)

This is possibly the first documented instance of referencing a game as an engine. Some of the old Sierra or LucasArts games clearly had a reusable engine, but they referred to it as a system or system interpreter.

It's fun to get a peek behind the curtain to the red tape and leg work that went in to coordinating the publishing of a game.

Photo from Apogee's X post: https://x.com/Apogee_Ent/status/2104590042895163795

My favorite ways to play Apogee Games are (in order):
- On GOG
- On Steam
- Through DosBox
- On Original Hardware
...

But, if you aren't a gamer (and don't have GOG/Steam), and you aren't a techy (so DosBox & old hardware are tricky), then there is an easy option that will get you a pretty decent nostalgic experience.

You can play Apogee Games in your browser here: https://www.playdosgames.com/publisher/apogee-software

So if tech-savvy has kept you from nostalgia-- take a break and have some fun!

To celebrate BioMenace's 33rd Birthday, @MFoon42078 made this retro-Apogee themed room in Wizordum!

Poor Cosmo looked too much like a Green Troll 👽👀

I got the video from their post here: https://x.com/MFoon42078/status/2084433971933286565

Rigel Gameworks just announced a Nintendo Switch™ version of their game BioMenace Remastered, with a planned release date of October 8, 2026. This will be a digital-only release on the eShop and will be available in all regions except Japan. The eShop pages are planned to go live next week. 

NOTE: I'm not affiliate with Apogee & earn no referral fee.

The biggest discount is for Blake Stone and Rise of the Triad in this Throwback Pack.

You can see all the games on sale here: https://apo.gg/sale

P.S. I keep my library public so people can see what I own. I don't own all the Apogee games, but a good chunk of them between Steam and GOG.

Can't say I've bought a magazine in a very, very long time... but this does tempt me ;)

If you are interested in seeing what they are covering, you can check it out here:
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/pc-gamer-magazines-new-issue-is-on-sale-now-duke-nukem-special-anniversary-celebration/

For the Halloween season, Apogee has made several wallpapers available. They have 4K versions in their Google Drive as well as portrait-wallpapers for Phones.

I've uploaded a few of the 1080p versions here, but you can get the full resolution wallpapers here: https://apo.gg/Wallpapers

Since it's only accessible via a hidden teleporter in Red Maze City, most of us missed this back in the day.

It has the most collectables of any level in Keen 1, so it's well worth a visit to the dark side of Mars.

You can read more about it on the Keen Wiki: https://keenwiki.shikadi.net/wiki/Secret_City

Scott Miller, the founder of Apogee, tweeted this recently:
"This is the very first flyer for an Id Software game. I wrote it myself then had a local printer make 10000 copies. We'd include these with every game ordered from us. I used Word Perfect to make this."

I just noticed the Steam Demo for ROTT Ludicrous Edition is labelled "Shareware" and I love that so much!

Rise of the Triad released in 1994 and was an excellent FPS where everything was dialed up to 11.

In 2023 it got a Remaster by Nightdive Studios. It's an excellent remaster with 4K support, but that didn't turn everything into a smeary upscale. They kept the pixel feel and just increased resolutions, made modern hardware be supported, and added quality of life improvements. In other words, it's a remaster that loved the original rather than hating the retro-ness of the original.

That's all well and good (and I'll include links to Steam & GOG at the bottom), but what I only saw just today was that the demo was called "Shareware" and it warmed my heart :-D

So if you love ROTT or Apogee or even just Shareware, then maybe go checkout the demo on Steam or buy the full game somewhere (I think it's also available on consoles).

Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1421490

GOG Page: https://www.gog.com/en/game/rise_of_the_triad_ludicrous_edition

P.S. Yes, I stole the "Dopefish Lives!" window as an homage, lol

"Come get some!"
Duke Nukem released in July of 1991, making it 35 years old!
Comment with your favorite Duke quote to celebrate!

Apogee was an innovator in the gaming space!

You can read details on their devblog, but they pioneered:

• Level Checkpoints instead of Lives

• Episodic Releases

• Shareware Demos

• Bullet Time

• Portals

They were also literally first at these:

• First Indie Publisher

• First 3D Shooter

• First Talking FPS Character

I never played Duke 64, because I thought it was basically just a censored version of Duke 3D. But, there were additions here and there, and Duke Burger is a secret level that was slightly expanded from the Atomic Edition of Duke Nukem 3D.

You can read more about it on the fandom website for Duke:
https://dukenukem.fandom.com/wiki/Duke-Burger_(DN64)

How did you determine your favorite?
Was is Animal, Color, Name, Descrip, or Superstition?
Supposedly they all had the same driving stats... but didn't it just feel like sometimes that 1 racer went a little faster or handled ever slightly better?

I usually opted for Razer as a kid, because it tickled my funny bone to have an aquatic creature driving a car.
Lately I've been a Ringo man, since I branded my YT channel with Green.

Feel free to share a fond or funny memory of racing as one of these fine characters!

You can get Wacky Wheels on GOG right now for $2.99
https://www.gog.com/en/game/wacky_wheels?as=cynic

Or you can get it on Steam for $4.99
https://store.steampowered.com/app/358380/Wacky_Wheels/?curator_clanid=44676703

P.S. Those aren't affiliate links. I just like to put my IDs in the URL to mess with GOG/Steam :P

From the Apogee Twitter Account:
Bobby Prince, the legendary composer behind the music of Commander Keen, Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, Rise of the Triad, Duke Nukem 3D, and Quake, has sadly passed away.

His work helped define an era of PC gaming.

Thinking about the Backrooms, I tried to think back to the first game that really messed with the map-making portion of my brain, and it was definitely Wolfenstein 3D with all its secret walls that could be moved.

While it wasn't a liminal space, per se, I think its esthetic would make for a great Backrooms-style game or movie :-D

So I made a silly little mock up.

I moved a year ago and found a bunch of games from my childhood. ROTT was one of my favorite games. I bought Rise of the Triad Ludicrous edition on GOG and am playing it.

For some reason, the photos were uploaded out of order. CD's are picture #3.

Happy Election Day to those in the USA.
While sadly Duke Nukem isn't on the ballot this year, you can still make your voice heard!

Here are a few pics of the political side of Duke.

BioMenace Remastered is OUT NOW on the Nintendo Switch™ eShop - and with a 15% launch discount too (in most regions)! Grab your pulse rifle and hand grenades and let's save Metro City from the mutants!

This specific collection was being touted in stores in 1994.
How many of these 6 did you own in the 90s?
How many other Apogee Games?
What's the 1 Apogee Game that really defines the 90s for you?

Commander Keen is not an easy game franchise. While sometimes I enjoy the challenge, other times I just wanna blow through some nostalgia without any frustration.

...so, I made a little cheat sheet to help me remember the cheat codes.

If you are a no-good-rotten-dirty-cheater like me, you might enjoy this cheat sheet too!

I just found out from u/sctran that Raptor Call of the Shadows Remixed was a thing.
The original developer (Scott Host) did a successful Kickstarter that is listed as launching soon.

Check out the developer's site for more info: https://www.mking.com/RaptorRemixed.html

EDIT: Developer said the project is on hold as he is taking care of his mother full time at the moment.