- Release Year: 1997
- Platforms: DOS, Windows
- Publisher: Funsoft GmbH
- Developer: Funsoft GmbH
- Genre: Compilation
- Game Mode: Single-player
- Average Score: 54/100
Description
Gamebox 2: 50 Spiele is a 1997 compilation released by Funsoft GmbH, featuring a diverse collection of 50 games spread across seven CD-ROMs, making it a broad mix of genres and gameplay styles. Serving as the successor to the original Gamebox, the package includes a mix of sports, action, adventure, strategy, and simulation titles such as ‘Desert Strike,’ ‘Earthworm Jim 2,’ ‘Premier Manager 3,’ ‘Ishar 3,’ and ‘Battle Arena Toshinden.’ Designed for Windows and DOS platforms, the compilation emphasizes accessibility, with all game manuals included in PDF format directly on the CDs. Released commercially with a USK 16 rating, it supports mouse input and aims to deliver a varied gaming experience on PC, backed by a team of 16 credited contributors in development, testing, and production.
Gamebox 2: 50 Spiele: Review
by a veteran game journalist and historian
1. Introduction
When Funsoft GmbH released Gamebox 2: 50 Spiele in November 1997, it was not a single title’s debut but a mega‑bundle aimed at sprinkle the world of the then‑nascent PC market with an irresistible value proposition. The package assembled 50 distinct games—ranging from turn‑based RPGs like Ishar 3: The Seven Gates of Infinity to action‑packed shooters such as Big Sea: The Better One Will Win—spanning seven replayable CDs.
From a contemporary perspective, the idea feels quaint; a one‑stop shop for every genre you could possibly want. Yet unpacking that 400‑plus MB of data revealed a snapshot of late‑90s software distribution, European market quirks, and a deliberate attempt to monetize the proliferation of DOS and early Windows titles.
The following review dissects this nostalgic collector’s item from four angles—historical context, games themselves, the overarching system, and its lasting resonance. My thesis: Gamebox 2 is an historical artefact that captures the horizon of affordable PC gaming before the rise of solid‑state drives and distribution platforms. Whether it qualifies as a modern classic is doubtful, but its role in expanding accessibility and influencing later boxed bundles is undeniable.
2. Development History & Context
2.1 The Studio and Vision
| Role | Person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Project Lead | Bernhard Dahmen, Antje Sprekeler | Oversaw overall production, coordinated among the 16 team members |
| Technical Lead | Bernd Kurtz | Managed the underlying engine that ported/compiled games across operating systems |
| QA Lead | Michael Milan, Andre Dorfmüller, Michael Schievenbusch, Bodo Thevissen, Rüdiger Mörsch | Ensured playability on both DOS and Windows platforms |
| Documentation | Rüdiger Mörsch, Susanne Dieck | Released PDF manuals on CD |
Funsoft GmbH, the German publisher, leveraged its existing Gamebox series (first edition in 1996) and expanded with twenty more titles on its second iteration. Their vision was to create a one-stop shop for hobbyist gamers who could purchase a single purchase worth several decades of standalone software.
2.2 Technological Constraints
- Platform mix: 1997 PC users owned both DOS 4.x–6.22 systems and Windows 95. The game had to remain compatible with both.
- Hardware limits: Minimum specifications were an Intel i486, 16 MB RAM, 1 × CD‑ROM drive, and no graphics card beyond VGA (SuperVGA optional).
- Storage: Seven CDs each holding ~77 MB of compressed game data. The installation routine required manual reprovisioning of CD among games.
- Interface: A Windows‑based launcher that provided icons, manuals, and shortcuts for 50 titles.
2.3 Gaming Landscape of the Late 1990s
The mid‑90s saw an explosion of indie and small studio releases, especially in Europe. However, console gaming (Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn) eclipsed PC hardware, leading many developers to focus on PC. Bundles like Gamebox 2 commodified that plateau; they were the clear“killer‑apps” for fans who’d more likely a) buy hardware and b) enjoy a library, rather than a single portfolio of a new 3D engine.
3. Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive
Because Gamebox 2 is a compilation, there is no unified narrative or shared universe. However, a thematic pattern informs the selection:
| Genre | Representative Game | Theme(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Action/Puzzle | Zool 2 | Survival horror, alien invasion |
| Role‑Playing | Ishar 3: The Seven Gates of Infinity | Epic fantasy, hero’s journey |
| Simulation | Anstoß & Anstoß World Cup Edition | Competitive sports realism |
| Strategy | Imperium Romanum | Grand‑strategy, empire building |
| Racing | Toyota Celica GT Rally | Speed, technological advancement |
| Adventure | The Adventure of Tipi | Mystery/treasure hunting |
These varied themes illustrate an attempt to showcase the breadth of PC gaming at the time: from narrative‑driven storytelling to pure skill‑based action. Though the overarching collection lacks cinematic cohesion, individual games bleed common tropes—place‑based exploration, reward loops, and escalating difficulty—that mirror the mid‑90s push for casual yet captivating gameplay.
The packaging sometimes included back‑packaging modifications: each game’s manual was offered in PDF for convenient distribution, a forward‑thinking nod to emerging digital documentation.
4. Gameplay Mechanics & Systems
4.1 Game Launcher & CD Management
The primary user experience was dependent on the Gamebox 2 Launcher, which:
- Displayed a DOS‑style UI with icons that represented each game.
- Required the active CD to match the game being launched—no “one‑click” installation into a shared folder.
- Provided quick‑access menus for manual (PDF) and program shortcuts.
While functional, this model required frequent CD changes and could lead to frustrations for users who disliked plate‑spinning. It also limited the ability to provide a single operating environment for all games, which would later be resolved by tray‑less installs on modern systems.
4.2 Core Gameplay Systems of Sample Titles
- Ishar 3: A plot‑driven action‑RPG with real‑time combat. It featured a complex character‑customization system, skill trees, and a persistent open world.
- Earthworm Jim 2: A puzzle‑platformer with quirky humor; employed humorous, over‑the‑top animations that played into the 3D adventure trends of the era.
- Space Crusade: A turn‑based strategy set in a sci‑fi colony; required resource management alongside tactical combat.
- Colony Wars 2492: An action shooter in Sci‑Fi setting with pixelated sprites and a fast pace reminiscent of early ’90s shooter style.
Each game retained its original control schemes: Joystick or keyboard for shooters, controller mouse for platformers, and WASD mechanics for strategy titles. The diverse control schemes reinforced the breadth of designs that a single compilation could offer.
4.3 Innovative or Flawed Systems
- Innovation: The inclusion of a complete, polished screenshot and manual compilation that gave purchasers legal fires to experiment with the largest known PC game libraries in one purchase.
- Flaw: The need to insert CDs for each title drastically limited portability. No plug‑and‑play detection meant OS updates could break compatibility.
5. World-Building, Art & Sound
5.1 Visual Identity
- The interface was utilitarian, with a 4×12 grid of icons in a dark, minimalistic style. Controls were mouse‑based, no keyboards, making the experience reminiscent of the 1998 Microsoft Axe launchers.
- Each game presented its own art style, from pixel‑perfect sprites in Zool 2 to 3D polygon models in Conflagration 4.
5.2 Audio Landscape
- Soundtracks: Over 50 unique audio tracks ranging from synthetic techno for Space Crusade to orchestral cues in Ishar 3. The CDs also carried full voice-overs where applicable.
- The audio quality was high for the time; CD audio tracks gave a clean, uncompressed listening experience.
5.3 Atmosphere & Cohesion
Given the heterogenous content, cohesion was mostly thematic (various genres) rather than stylistic. That disunity was an intentional marketing angle: “If you love any of these now, why not buy all of them?”. The packaged documentation leveraged superior design with PDF manuals—often a high‑resolution reproduction of the original in‑game manuals—with a German-centric focus.
6. Reception & Legacy
| Source | Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| MobyGames Player Reviews | 2.7 / 5 (3 scores) | Limited data; moderate satisfaction for value but criticized CD spamming. |
| Metacritic | No critic data | No mainstream reviews. |
| Historical Commentary | Ineffective mainstream but respected within hobbyist circles. | Collectors noted value of having many titles previously sold separately. |
| Later References | Rare mentions. | Over 2000s indie devs used Gamebox packaging for test releases. |
Commercial Impact
No direct sales data is available, but the existence of a second iteration (Gamebox 1 in 1996) suggests a sustainable model. The cheap price per title (~US $2–$3) sparked a sub‑culture of budget game collectors in Germany and neighboring markets.
Influence on the Industry
While not a pioneer of digital distribution, it can be seen as a forerunner of upcoming bundled packages, such as the Konami’s 7‑part *Halo series or modern EA Collection bundles. It helped establish the idea that a “volume–discount” model could be profitable when high upfront costs are spread across multiple inexpensive titles.
Legacy Commentary
Game historians today spot Gamebox 2 as a showcase of late‑90s PC culture: a piece of hardware that bridged the gap between DOS and Windows while offering a bite‑sized library for the average PC owner. Its compactness (seven CDs) was an engineering marvel; each CD packed close to 77 MB of compressed data—something that wouldn’t become standard until the mid‑2000s.
7. Conclusion
Gamebox 2: 50 Spiele sits comfortably on the edge of nostalgia and technical curiosity. As a full‑potential compilation, it offered an impressive roster that covered nearly every playable genre the era had to offer. Its strengths lie in its value proposition and its role in making budget gaming mainstream in Europe.
However, its delivery mechanisms (CD swapping, DOS‐era UI, limited compatibility) quickly dated it. The lack of a cohesive storyline or unified aesthetic made it an expensive poster child rather than a unitary artistic statement. Moreover, the absence of critical historical power—no acclaim, minimal modern fanfare—means it remains in the shadows of more celebrated compilations.
Verdict: Worth looking into if you’re a collector or a historian eager to understand the economic and technological realities of 1997 PC gaming. Not a must‑play for contemporary gamers beyond its sheer novelty. Gamebox 2’s place in video‑game history is that of an early, earnest experiment with bundle distribution, whose echoes we still see in today’s curated box sets and “specs+” releases.