First Person & Third Person Games: 1986 (The Legend of Zelda, Dragon Quest, Metroid, Kid Icarus, Alex Kidd in Miracle World and Starflight are released)
1984|1985|1986|1987|1988|1989
The Academy: Tau Ceti II (PCs, 1986)?
Subgenre: Vehicle Sim/FPS, Open World?, Wireframe 3D graphics
Perspective: FP view
Other: Can use jump pads and move up/down+land with the skimmer
Compass and radar (no area maps?)
Save feature (tape menu on Spectrum)
Playthrough (Spectrum) - Video Review - Mini Review
Cholo (PCs, 1986)
Subgenre: Vehicle Sim/FPS, Open World, Wireframe 3D graphics
Perspective: FP view
Other: Flight, Hacking
Take over stronger robots
Map feature (shows teleporter locations)
Gameplay (CPC) - Video Review - Mini Review
Mind Walker (AMI, 1986)
Subgenre: Puzzle/Action Adventure
Perspective: Tilted view/TD view/FP view hybrid
Other: No jumping
-Four chars (switch below the floating pyramids)
-Fairly detailed map feature, You use a sound queue to find your way in the TD segments (repeats faster the closer you get to the goal)
-Unusual gameplay (in the tilted view segment each char must build a path ("Path of Coherent Thought") from a crystal to a special square located somewhere in the brain, each char can connect only one type of platforms)
-Psychological theme (the player is immersed inside a human brain and must cure a psychosis that is threatening the patient's well-being)
-360 degree attack in the TD segments which is kinda similar to the blade attack in Radiant Silvergun (SAT)
-Pre-rendered enemies in the tilted view segments
-Can buy tips with your points (tap Sigmund Freud's pipe) in the jigsaw puzzle assembling mini-game segment
-Homing lightning attack in the tilted view segments
-Save feature
-Randomly generated world (can use the save feature to restart the same world if you want)
-No new tools/abilities or other upgrades gained
Playthrough - Commentary - Mini-Review
WiBArM (PC-88, 1986/PC DOS, 1989)
Subgenre: ARPG/Third Person Shooter
Perspective: Side View/TD View (regular encounters)/TP View Hybrid
Other: Mech-based
-Polygonal 3D graphics for the dungeon segments (sprite characters though)
-Mini-map w/ auto-mapper (shows false walls and enemies), compass
-Transform between mech, tank and airship
-Upgradeable equipment (weapon and item inventories)
-Manual stat allocation when leveling up (later used in Diablo)
-Save anywhere (one slot per game, have to die or restart the game to load though?)
-Non-random enemy encounters
-Level-gating for various enemies (see Ys)
-Warp obstacles (and items that destroy them)
Playthrough w/ commentary - Video Review - Mini-Review
Taiyou no Shinden/Asteka II: Temple of the Sun (Templo del Sol: Asteka II) (PCs, 1986 (JP developed)/SAT, 1998 (Falcom Classics II - Remaster based on PC versions))
Subgenre: Graphical Adventure (location exploration, similar to The Manhole)/Action Adventure overworld) hybrid
Perspective: FP (locations)/TD view (overworld) hybrid
Other: Icon interface (verb commands)
-Mayan civilization theme (not Aztec)
-Item inventory
-Shrinking item for shrinking yourself
-Puzzles (some item combination puzzles)
-Password save
-Compass (have to make it)
-No maps?
-Larger overworld on PC-88 (some puzzles are also different between the MSX and PC-88 versions; smallest world but also smooth scrolling in the NES game (Tombs & Treasure) which is more of a remix)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini-Review
Knight Tyme (PCs, 1986)?
Subgenre: Quest Adventure/Platformer hybrid w/ FP space flight segments (travel between planets)
Perspective: SV/FP view hybrid
Other: 10 verb commands including examine
Teleporters (need coordinates)
No maps?
No save?
Playthrough (Spectrum) - Video Review - Mini Review
Outliers:
Infiltrator (Multi, 1986)
Subgenre: Flight Sim/Stealth Action Hybrid, Retrieve and escape missions
Perspective: FP (helicopter flight)/TD (outdoors)/Tilted view (indoors) hybrid
Other: Time limit
Auto-map, Gas grenades for putting guards to sleep and papers to fool them about your identity
Dragon Quest (NES/MSX, 1986) - (J)RPG, TD view (FP view battles)
King's Quest III (PC, 1986) - Quest Adventure w/ Stealth elements, Mixed perspective
No jumping via button input (text commands only and only used in a few situations) but can transform into a fly or eagle to manually fly and reach new places on the same screen
Teleport to visited tiles on the world map (magic map)
Open ended beginning
Save anywhere outside of a cutscene
Basic journal feature
Mini Review (Redux ver.)
Airheart (AII, 1986) - TPS/Free-roaming shooter/Collectathon, Vehicle-based (flotation device)
Tracker (PCs, 1986) - 3D Maze Shooter/FPS, FP view, Flight-based, Mouse aiming?
-Need to destroy objects that power certain enemies
-Map feature
-Save feature
The Academy: Tau Ceti II (PCs, 1986)?
Subgenre: Vehicle Sim/FPS, Open World?, Wireframe 3D graphics
Perspective: FP view
Other: Can use jump pads and move up/down+land with the skimmer
Compass and radar (no area maps?)
Save feature (tape menu on Spectrum)
Playthrough (Spectrum) - Video Review - Mini Review
Cholo (PCs, 1986)
Subgenre: Vehicle Sim/FPS, Open World, Wireframe 3D graphics
Perspective: FP view
Other: Flight, Hacking
Take over stronger robots
Map feature (shows teleporter locations)
Gameplay (CPC) - Video Review - Mini Review
Mind Walker (AMI, 1986)
Subgenre: Puzzle/Action Adventure
Perspective: Tilted view/TD view/FP view hybrid
Other: No jumping
-Four chars (switch below the floating pyramids)
-Fairly detailed map feature, You use a sound queue to find your way in the TD segments (repeats faster the closer you get to the goal)
-Unusual gameplay (in the tilted view segment each char must build a path ("Path of Coherent Thought") from a crystal to a special square located somewhere in the brain, each char can connect only one type of platforms)
-Psychological theme (the player is immersed inside a human brain and must cure a psychosis that is threatening the patient's well-being)
-360 degree attack in the TD segments which is kinda similar to the blade attack in Radiant Silvergun (SAT)
-Pre-rendered enemies in the tilted view segments
-Can buy tips with your points (tap Sigmund Freud's pipe) in the jigsaw puzzle assembling mini-game segment
-Homing lightning attack in the tilted view segments
-Save feature
-Randomly generated world (can use the save feature to restart the same world if you want)
-No new tools/abilities or other upgrades gained
Playthrough - Commentary - Mini-Review
WiBArM (PC-88, 1986/PC DOS, 1989)
Subgenre: ARPG/Third Person Shooter
Perspective: Side View/TD View (regular encounters)/TP View Hybrid
Other: Mech-based
-Polygonal 3D graphics for the dungeon segments (sprite characters though)
-Mini-map w/ auto-mapper (shows false walls and enemies), compass
-Transform between mech, tank and airship
-Upgradeable equipment (weapon and item inventories)
-Manual stat allocation when leveling up (later used in Diablo)
-Save anywhere (one slot per game, have to die or restart the game to load though?)
-Non-random enemy encounters
-Level-gating for various enemies (see Ys)
-Warp obstacles (and items that destroy them)
Playthrough w/ commentary - Video Review - Mini-Review
Taiyou no Shinden/Asteka II: Temple of the Sun (Templo del Sol: Asteka II) (PCs, 1986 (JP developed)/SAT, 1998 (Falcom Classics II - Remaster based on PC versions))
Subgenre: Graphical Adventure (location exploration, similar to The Manhole)/Action Adventure overworld) hybrid
Perspective: FP (locations)/TD view (overworld) hybrid
Other: Icon interface (verb commands)
-Mayan civilization theme (not Aztec)
-Item inventory
-Shrinking item for shrinking yourself
-Puzzles (some item combination puzzles)
-Password save
-Compass (have to make it)
-No maps?
-Larger overworld on PC-88 (some puzzles are also different between the MSX and PC-88 versions; smallest world but also smooth scrolling in the NES game (Tombs & Treasure) which is more of a remix)
Playthrough - Video Review - Mini-Review
Knight Tyme (PCs, 1986)?
Subgenre: Quest Adventure/Platformer hybrid w/ FP space flight segments (travel between planets)
Perspective: SV/FP view hybrid
Other: 10 verb commands including examine
Teleporters (need coordinates)
No maps?
No save?
Playthrough (Spectrum) - Video Review - Mini Review
Outliers:
Infiltrator (Multi, 1986)
Subgenre: Flight Sim/Stealth Action Hybrid, Retrieve and escape missions
Perspective: FP (helicopter flight)/TD (outdoors)/Tilted view (indoors) hybrid
Other: Time limit
Auto-map, Gas grenades for putting guards to sleep and papers to fool them about your identity
Dragon Quest (NES/MSX, 1986) - (J)RPG, TD view (FP view battles)
King's Quest III (PC, 1986) - Quest Adventure w/ Stealth elements, Mixed perspective
No jumping via button input (text commands only and only used in a few situations) but can transform into a fly or eagle to manually fly and reach new places on the same screen
Teleport to visited tiles on the world map (magic map)
Open ended beginning
Save anywhere outside of a cutscene
Basic journal feature
Mini Review (Redux ver.)
Airheart (AII, 1986) - TPS/Free-roaming shooter/Collectathon, Vehicle-based (flotation device)
Tracker (PCs, 1986) - 3D Maze Shooter/FPS, FP view, Flight-based, Mouse aiming?
-Need to destroy objects that power certain enemies
-Map feature
-Save feature