3D Realms Relaunches Itself, Releases Anthology Featuring 32 Classic Games

Five-and-a-half years ago, it seemed certain that 3D Realms was finished. At the time, the company was duking it out with Take-Two thanks to the constant delays that plagued Duke Nukem Forever, and ultimately, the vast majority of 3D Realms’ staff was let go. In the years that followed, very little happened with 3D Realms, up until earlier this year, when investors behind Interceptor Entertainment took the plunge and acquired the company. Not long after that, a new game called Bombshell was announced. It looks like things are on the right track.

Since we’re entering a new era of 3D Realms, it seems appropriate that the company has just received a bit of a rejuvenation. Its logo has been modernized, as has the official website. Further, to help kick-things off, an Anthology is being sold that includes 32 classics from the old 3D Realms / Apogee era. If you’re a fan of classic gaming, you’ll definitely want to be checking this out since these are top-rate titles from the 80s and 90s.

The included games are: Arctic Adventure, Bio Menace, Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold, Commander Keen: Goodbye Galaxy, Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons, Math Rescue, Monster Bash, Mystic Towers, Paganitzu, Monuments of Mars, Cosmo’s Cosmic Adventure, Crystal Caves, Death Rally, Alien Carnage, Hocus Pocus, Major Stryker, Blake Stone: Planet Strike, Realms of Chaos, Pharaoh’s Tomb, Word Rescue, Secret Agent, Raptor: Call of the Shadows, Terminal Velocity, Wacky Wheels, Stargunner, Shadow Warrior, Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad: Dark War, Duke Nukem, Duke Nukem 2, Duke Nukem 3D, and Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project.

It’s hard for me to pick and choose a couple of titles in this collection to highlight, because I’d be picking at least half of the list. Duke Nukem titles always top my charts, and Alien Carnage is a title I’ve been meaning to go back and play for a while. And speaking of that game, it’s worth noting that some of the titles included in this collection were previously released as freeware, so whether or not they’re still considered as such, I’m uncertain. Edit: They are still freeware. Simply sign up for an account, and those games will appear in your games page. 

Nonetheless, if you want a collection of great classic games, this is it. Just be prepared to cough up $40, a price that includes a brand-new 9-track soundtrack (which can also be found on iTunes and Spotify; just search for ‘3D Realms’).

Want a trip down memory lane? Be sure to check out my 3D Realms retrospective.