The 101 Greatest Websites (you've never seen): Retro games/tech

The Grumpy Gamer

Remember the Secret of Monkey Island, or Maniac Mansion? Ron Gilbert, AKA the Grumpy Gamer, does, because he designed them, and in doing so created two of the best loved adventure titles. This blog harks back to a golden age and genre of gaming that some might argue has yet to be equalled for sheer inventiveness and enjoyment. The must-read post is Ron's Secret of Monkey Island walkthrough, with pics, showing how and why each element was made the way it was, including tiny hot spots you had to hunt for with your mouse, to the origins of Insult Sword Fighting. As Ron points out, back in the late 80s the idea of a mouse with a scroll wheel would have been "crazy talk". Yet somehow, the game not only worked, but was destined to be a classic.

Twin Galaxies

Back in the dim, dark 1980s, before gamers were concerned with headshots, one of the primary concerns of serious players was the high score. Fortunately that appreciation for the highest score has been kept alive by this site, which has not only been keeping a massive leader board of the world's top Space Invader scores and Tetris scores (among many others), but to get on the board you'll have to prove yourself with a videotape or DVD showing your effort. As proof of Twin Galaxies bona fides, the site's score master Walter Day pops up in the documentary King Kong: A Fistful of Dollars, about an attempt on the King Kong arcade record. Today, Twin Galaxies still prides itself as the "official scorekeeper for the entire world". Visit for the nostalgia, or try to get your name posted on the leader board.

Moby Games

Someone with a lot of spare time on their hands has devoted themselves on this site to the "humongous task" of writing the history of Western RPGs, which gives you an idea of the sort of dedication gaming history can inspire. The site tries to document everything about games, and along with Wikipedia it's an excellent place to visit to explore forgotten classics. Search for a title, and you get everything from screenshots to reviews, technical specs, cover art, tips and tricks, trivia and release info. And no stone seems to be left unturned - where else could you find details on the 1999 MS DOS golf sim Links 5 - Course Library, or "a brief history of the C64". We don't know where they're getting the time for this, but we salute them.

Old-computers

The images and specs go back to 1951 with the monstrous Univac 1, which weighed more than 13 tonnes and contained more than 5000 vacuum tubes. The site also includes old advertisements for the likes of the Sinclair ZX 80 and Apple II. The virtual museum has a database of almost 1000 old computers and consoles, ranging from TRS-80 Model 1 clones to Golden Jubilee Commodore C64s, with care taken to include specifications for each machine. The relatively new addition, a historical timeline, includes a video of Doug Engelbart's famed 1968 demonstration incorporating concepts like the mouse and email.This is fascinating viewing for technology history buffs.

If you have your own favourite, add a suggestion for our site list in the comments box below...