The longer version (still shorter than yesterday's rambling concert impressions, for the length of which I blame the lack of sleep), is that in the computer-gaming equivalent of the Bronze Age, Apogee Software was a gaming company who produced a number of classic gaming titles for the audience of the time.
Being part of that audience (just starting serious computer gaming; consoles would follow only after buying a Playstation as late as 1999), I poured over Apogee's catalogue, from the cult ("Crystal Caves", "Secret Agent", "Major Stryker"), to the addictive ("Bio Menace", "Stargunner"), to the iconic ("Duke Nukum", "Duke Nukem 2").
This was a company that made polished games, distributing their first "act" as shareware and offering the rest of the game for a nominal fee (if one considers the price of games, these days).
One of their catalogue's great hits was also id Software's "Commander Keen" series, incidentally, which Apogee published*; but I never liked Commander Keen too much - him or his pogo stick!
This was, additionally, a company that offered their catalogue online for download with payment via credit card circa 1997, much to my amazement as a European, at the time.
And all in all, Apogee Software is one of the two gaming companies that have never disappointed me (the other being Blizzard Entertainment), and a part of gaming history itself.
Of course, it still existed regardless, under the well-known name of 3D Realms ("Duke Nukem 3D", "Max Payne", "Max Payne 2", "Prey").
But to hear that the original Apogee is returning, with not only their old catalogue "rearmed", but new games as well - Duke Nukem games, no less, which they created quite a while before it or they became "3D" - is a very great piece of gaming news indeed.
Long may they make games, no matter the platform.
*Other games they published but did not develop include the utterly cult "Alien Carnage", stylish "Raptor", and odd-but-oddly-enjoyable "Death Rally". Did I also mention "Wolfenstein 3D"?
This might not be the original Apogee, but it's still an interesting move. I mean, the catalogue is there, but 3D Realms (the real Apogee) licensed the brand to an "external company". So not really the good old Apogee from the early 90s. Just their games and name.
ReplyDeleteAt least it makes sense to bring them to handheld devices. I can't wait to see those huge, wonderful sprites from Bio Menace on my cellphone (or, even better, DS).
It's the original brand and catalogue, as you said, and the people in charge of the revival project seem to be the original Apogee people, as well.
ReplyDeleteSo it might not be exactly the old Apogee, but it's far from being an Atari/Infogrames situation, most thankfully!
(And if they do re-release Bio Menace for the DS, I might finally be tempted to buy one!)