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Xenon II Megablast was pure Bitmap Brothers style: metallic graphics, smooth scrolling, huge sprites, and such a soundtrack by Bomb the Bass that made every level feel like an arcade spectacle. Released in 1989, it became one of the defining shoot'em-up on the Amiga and Atari ST.

R-Type was in my opinion the indisputed king of shoot 'em ups in the 80s. I think it was the first to put up gigantic biomechanical bosses, totally animated, that took at least half of the screen. Its relentless difficulty, and razor-sharp level design made every victory feel earned.

In 1992 Ultima Underworld revolutionized the RPG. Its seamless 3D world let you look up and down, jump, swim, climb, and explore freely. Photo shot in my studio featuring IBM PS/1 model 2011.

The Amstrad CPC proved that great computing didn't have to cost a fortune. With its built-in cassette (464) or disk drive (6128), colorful graphics, very decent sound and surprisingly capable BASIC, it became the first real home computer for countless Europeans. Almost all of my schoolmates had one.

French company Loriciels played a major role in giving Thomson computers a real gaming identity during the 1980s. Games like L'Aigle d'Or and its sequel Quauhtli (shown here) became classics for a generation of gamers. Photo shot in my studio, Thomson TO7/70

Lotus 123 turned the IBM PC into a serious business machine almost overnight. Fast and powerful, it became the killer app that convinced countless companies to buy a PC. Photo shot in my studio: PS/1 Model 2133 (486) with model M keyboard, because its original keyboard need fixing.

Prince of Persia by Jordan Mechner. Photos taken in my studio with an Amiga 500 and Commodore 1084 display.

Dungeon Master on my Atari ST

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What better way to catalog your retro collection than using a retro computer? Running Calc on my C64c to keep track of my vintage machines. Fits perfectly.

The magnificent Powermonger intro on my Amiga 500. It's a shame you can't hear the sound! Back then, we knew exactly what a great game looked and sounded like. You could feel it in your guts.

Nebulus, aka Tower Toppler, was great on every machine it was adapted to (and that's many). Seen here on my Atari ST.

The MSX had an astonishing library of Konami games. Nemesis, Salamander, Metal Gear, Maze of Galious, Penguin Adventure... each one felt polished as and ambitious. It was almost unfair to the competition, such as HAL, second best provider with games like Hole in One shown here on my Yashica YC-64.

What a nice-looking little train, let me see which car shall I also add... Back in 1991 I spent countless hours Railroad Tycoon. Such a great game by the legendary team at Microprose. Photo shot in my studio (IBM PS/2 Model 30).

Barbarian on my Amstrad CPC 6128. The fight is over and the lizard drags away your opponent. When I was a kid visiting pals from school who had this machine, Barbarian was often the first game we played during our long afternoon sessions...

Who said the Apple II was no good for graphics? Photo shot in my studio

R-Type, Commodore 64C, 1571 disk drive, 1702 display. Photo shot in my studio

In 1991, Another World felt like stepping into a strange animated film. Its innovative rotoscoping technique gave the characters an uncanny fluidity. A few polygons masterfully applied to gorgeous landscapes created a fascinating, realistic, and very dangerous alien universe

Who would argue Dungeon Master was the best game ever made? Looking back, it was a blessing there was no music during the game. It made the sound effects even more powerful: grinding doors, cries of monsters, crackling spells... all magnified by the ominous silence. And even more so in the dark!

I can't think of any 8-bit computer Sorcery was not adapted to (at least officially) except maybe the Apple II and the Atari. If we consider machines still popular in 1985-86, then Sorcery was everywhere. Seen here on my Commodore 64 "breadbin'.

Loading Sorcery from cassette was a test of patience, faith, and the tape recorder's mood. For 15 minutes, every screech sent shivers down your spine, knowing that instead of a fantasy adventure, it could all end with a tape loading error. Common fate of gamers in the 80s. Photo shot in my studio.