Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

“Aber Hallo!” presents an astonishing breadth of interactive experiences, delivering fifty distinct titles across ten CDs. From turn-based strategy gems like Armaëth: The Lost Kingdom and chess/brainteaser compilations in Colossus Collection to adrenaline-fuelled shooters such as Taito’s Super Space Invaders and Wingstar, the compilation ensures that nearly every playstyle finds its match. Casual arcade aficionados will love Bunny Bricks and Living Ball, while simulation fans can dive into B-17 Flying Fortress or HIND: The Russian Combat Helicopter Simulation for a more methodical challenge.

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Even within shared genres, the quality and depth vary. The Ishar trilogy (Legend of the Fortress, Messengers of Doom, and The Seven Gates of Infinity) showcases intricate world-building, character progression, and puzzle solving, standing in stark contrast to simpler fare like International Athletics or football titles such as Football Glory and Fußball Kaiser, which focus on quick pick-up-and-play sessions. This diversity is a double-edged sword: some titles feel dated or shallow compared to their peers, while others still hold up as surprisingly robust, decades later.

Setup and playability are influenced by the minimal manual approach. Only a handful of games include PDF manuals; the rest rely on Write-format documentation stored on the CDs, reduced to essential controls and basic objectives. Titles that originally employed off-disk copy protection (manual lookups, code wheels, etc.) remain protected—relevant pages are provided digitally, but you’ll need to load the appropriate file each time. While this system works, it can interrupt the flow if you haven’t preloaded or printed the necessary files.

Graphics

Graphical fidelity across “Aber Hallo!” varies dramatically, reflecting the evolution of PC visuals throughout the late 1980s and early ’90s. Pixel art adventures such as Legend of Myra and Shadowlands boast colorful, hand-drawn backdrops that retain a nostalgic charm, whereas early polygonal attempts in Colony Wars 2492 and Space Max look blocky by modern standards. Simulation titles like B-17 Flying Fortress often focus on instrumentation panels over flashy aesthetics, grounding you in the technical experience rather than cinematic visuals.

One of the compilation’s surprises is the range of art styles you’ll encounter. Der Produzent: Die Welt des Films takes a more austere, menu-driven design befitting its business simulation roots, while Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters delivers vibrant sprite work and frenetic action. Even the minimalist UI in classics like Star Chess and Backgammon (from the Colossus Collection) is thoughtfully laid out, prioritizing clarity over decoration. If you’re prepared for a retro mosaic, the visual journey is part of the fun.

However, the lack of unified graphical enhancements or compatibility patches means you may need to tweak DOSBox or other emulators for optimal display. Some titles scale nicely to modern resolutions, but others maintain an old-school 320×200 aspect ratio, leading to black bars or stretching unless manually configured. For purists, this fidelity to original presentation is a plus; for newcomers expecting auto-optimized output, the manual configuration can pose a barrier.

Story

Storytelling in “Aber Hallo!” ranges from the epic to the perfunctory. Role-playing sagas such as Return of Medusa and R.O.M. Gold: Rings of Medusa immerse you in rich lore, complete with NPC dialogue and branching quests, while strategic simulations like Kingdoms of Germany and Black Gold focus on economic and military systems, offering only skeletal narrative framing. The Clue! adapts its board-game mystery into a text-and-image experience, and Grand Ouvert brings puzzle fans a minimalist storyline that serves as mere context for its golfing challenges.

The sparse manuals can hamper narrative immersion. Where original box manuals once set scene and tone, the Write-format files often reduce story summaries to bullet points. A few titles include full PDF manuals—handy for absorbing background details, quest hints, and character bios—but most heritage games rely on in-game text alone. If you prize deep lore and seamless world-building, be prepared to hunt through the digital documentation or seek online fan resources.

Despite these hurdles, the narrative payoff can be substantial in standout titles. Ishar 3’s Seven Gates of Infinity weaves a layered plot about time-travel and betrayal, while Lone Wolf–style adventures such as Legends deliver multiple endings based on your choices. In contrast, sports and simulator games prioritize mechanics over story, so your emotional investment will depend heavily on genre preference. Ultimately, “Aber Hallo!” offers storytelling as varied as its gameplay, rewarding those willing to explore each CD.

Overall Experience

As a value proposition, “Aber Hallo!” is difficult to beat. Fifty games for a single purchase price represent an enormous library, spanning strategy, RPG, simulation, sports, puzzle, and arcade genres. Retro collectors and nostalgia-driven gamers will relish the breadth, discovering hidden gems alongside more forgettable titles. However, the CD-based format means disc-swapping is inevitable; you’ll need a multi-drive setup or patience to switch between adventures.

The digital manual approach, while space-efficient, can feel cumbersome. Most games require opening a separate Write-format file or PDF to view controls or copy-protection codes—there are no printed manuals or code wheels in the box. For enthusiasts comfortable with emulation and basic file conversions, this is a minor inconvenience. Casual buyers, however, may find themselves briefly stalled when launching a game for the first time.

Overall, “Aber Hallo!” stands as a treasure trove for aficionados of retro PC gaming. Its vast genre coverage ensures there’s something for every mood, but navigating the library requires a bit of technical know-how and a fondness for period-authentic presentation. If you yearn for classic RPGs, flight sims, strategy puzzlers, and quirky arcade titles all in one package—and you don’t mind digging through digital manuals and swapping CDs—you’ll find “Aber Hallo!” to be an engaging, time-traveling trip through gaming history. For newcomers to vintage titles or anyone seeking instant, hassle-free gameplay, a smaller, more curated collection might be a better fit.

Retro Replay Score

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