Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Blackhawk is the obvious place to start if you want immediate momentum. Its side-scrolling action asks you to be careful rather than reckless: advancing into danger, taking cover, and choosing your shots creates a more deliberate rhythm than a simple run-and-gun. The first stretch can feel stiff if you expect constant speed, but the game becomes much more enjoyable once you accept that patience is part of the challenge.

Frankenstein: Through the Eyes of the Monster changes the pace completely. This is a first-person adventure built around investigating locations, working through puzzles, and lingering over its eerie spaces. You need to be in the mood to stop, inspect, and think; players hoping for Blackhawk’s quick feedback may find its progress frustratingly measured. Give it time, though, and that slower tempo becomes part of its appeal.

Solitaire Deluxe is the dependable breather between the two larger games. It lacks their drama, naturally, but its card games give the disc a useful pick-up-and-play option when you want something calmer. That may sound minor, yet it helps this feel like a bundle you return to rather than a pair of games with filler attached.

Graphics

Blackhawk uses a dark, detailed side view filled with hulking characters, stone interiors, and animated gunfights. Frankenstein moves to first-person rooms and filmed character performances, giving it a much more theatrical, deliberately eerie look. Solitaire Deluxe is plainly functional by comparison, with card tables and menus that stay out of your way.

Story

Blackhawk keeps its narrative in service of the action. Its grim fantasy setting supplies a reason to keep moving forward, but the real hook is surviving the next hostile stretch rather than savoring long story scenes.

Frankenstein is where the compilation puts its narrative weight. The familiar Gothic material, the first-person viewpoint, and the filmed performances make it the selection to choose when you want atmosphere and mystery more than reflexes. Its story works best when you let the locations and encounters set the mood instead of rushing for the next solution.

Solitaire Deluxe wisely has no interest in competing on this front. After one game pushes a dark action premise and another leans into Gothic horror, a simple deck of cards is a welcome reset.

Overall Experience

The joy of this compilation is its range. Blackhawk is the strongest all-round game here, Frankenstein is the most specialized and memorable when its puzzle-adventure rhythm lands for you, and Solitaire Deluxe rounds out the package with low-pressure replay value.

There is no reason to force yourself through all three in order. Start with Blackhawk if you want the most immediately engaging game, save Frankenstein for a patient evening, and treat Solitaire Deluxe as the flexible extra. That freedom to jump among radically different moods makes the collection more durable than a more uniform bundle.

It is an easy recommendation for a retro gamer who enjoys both action and old-school adventure design, particularly if you appreciate a compilation with a genuine change of pace. Frankenstein’s slower puzzles will test your tolerance, and Solitaire will not convert anyone who dislikes card games, but two substantial games plus a useful casual diversion make this a well-chosen DOS package.

Retro Replay Score

7.1/10