For the purposes of my computer game commentary I refer to the IBM PC and its compatibles as computer game machines. IBM PC games include PC Booters, MS-DOS games and Windows games.The Microprocessor of the IBM PCThe IBM PC was powered by 16 and 32 bit Intel 808x and 80×86 microprocessors. The original 5150 IBM PC of 1981 was powered by the 16 bit Intel 8088 clocked at 4.77 MHz.The i8086 of 1978 was clocked at 5-10 MHzThe i8088 of 1979 was clocked at 5-16 MHzThe IBM PC, PC/XT and PCjr. (and others) of 1981-84 employed the 8088 at 4.77 MHz; their RAM ranging from 16-640 kbytes. The IBM PS/2 of 1987 employed the 8086 and i80x86; its RAM ranging from 512 kbytes to 4 megs.Post-808x, the IBM PC and compatible was powered by Intel 80×86 CPUs.The 16 bit i80286 of 1982 was clocked at 4-25 MHzThe 32 bit 386 of 1985 was clocked at 12½ to 40 MHzThe 32 bit 486 of 1989 was clocked at 16-100 MHzThe 32 bit Pentium or “586” of 1993 was clocked at 60-300 MHzIn the sphere of computer gaming RAM ranged from 1-16 megs on the 286 up to 4-64 on the Pentium. [1]Therefore, on a technical level it is hardly fair to compare 808x-based games with 80×86-based ones. In terms of computational power requirements we are dealing with Space Invaders versus Quake; that is, computational power that ranges from half a MIP up to 190 MIPS.Microprocessor speed (MHz) and memory (RAM) are primary factors in computer-game performance.IBM PC Graphics ModesIn assessing IBM PC games the graphics mode employed is also a major factor. Not just because the graphics mode dicates on-screen color-count, palette range, aspect ratio and resolution, but also because it dictates screen-draw complexity and speed. For example, VGA offers page-flipping, parallel pixel processing and per-pixel hardware scrolling whereas SVGA offers hardware cursors, increased chipset clockspeed and over ten times more display memory, which results in much faster line-draws and color-fills (up to 30 times faster).The main IBM graphics adapters and modes of operation of concern to us are as follows:Color & Memory [2]:CGA features four on-screen colors drawn from a palette range of 16 colors. Display memory amounts to 16 kybtes.EGA features 16 on-screen colors drawn from a palette range of 64 colors. Display memory ranges from 64-256 kbytes.VGA features 256 on-screen colors drawn from a palette range of 262,144 colors. Display memory ranges from 256 kbytes to (typically) 1 mbyte. VGA also supports per-pixel hardware-scrolling, page-shifting and parallel pixel processing.SVGA features 24-bit color. Display memory ranges from 1-4 mbytes. SVGA also features hardware cursors and line-draws and flood-fills that are 30x faster than VGA.Therefore, in terms of graphics it is hardly fair to compare CGA games with SVGA games. Instead, we need to assess IBM PC games based on hardware technologies that were available during their dev-cycles or at the time of their release.For example, a CGA game of 1983 is not penalized for its lack of color. Since CGA+ and EGA were not out yet, the only way you can criticize the graphics of a 4-color CGA game of 1983 is by comparing it with a 16-color Commodore 64 game of the same year; that is, you could say that the CGA game was not graphically advanced for 1983 (at least in terms of on-screen colors and palette range).But anyway, since the C64 is not an IBM PC or compatible it does not concern us here. [3]CGA versus EGA versus VGAExample of IBM SVGA graphics (Grand Prix 2 1996):For more info on CGA, EGA and VGA please refer to:Best IBM PC Games According to my current commentary the best IBM PC game is the i80286 assembly-coded Frontier: Elite 2 by Braben & Sawyer. This conclusion was based on how Frontier harnessed machine-specs, how it played, and the impact it had on people that played it. In fact, I can think of no other computer game over a 30-year period that sparked my imagination and made my eyes light up like Frontier did in 1993; not even Doom was on par in that respect.However, I have thus far given five IBM PC games scores of 9.9 out of 10. Here is my current top 10 IBM PC games list:Most of the above are VGA games that run well on 286es; only JA2, Civ2 and Alpha are SVGA-only. All of the above are either IBM PC-exclusives, IBM PC-firsts or are best played on IBM PCs via MS-DOS or Windows (e.g., Frontier). And all of them are 1990s computer games except for M1 of 1989.Best IBM PC Developer (not publisher)Based on the impact of Doom and Quake alone, id Software were the most influentual IBM PC developer, but I would venture to state that MPS Labs / MicroProse were numero uno in terms of quality + quantity of computer games that also educate (I’m big on games that educate, not just entertain). Consider for example their flat-shaded computer games. Not to mention the Civ games and numerous others. GOAT dev.First IBM PC Game to have Smooth ScrollingBest IBM PC PortsWell, the Uridium port is certainly a contender for best IBM port. I mean, smooth and fast variable-rate bi-directional scrolling on a 808x and 286 in 1988 is notable, is it not?Or how about the 1983 ports of Galaxian, Defender and Robotron 2084 on i808x? Let me guess: don’t count because “CGA”, “early 80s” and “I wasn’t born yet”.But let’s jump ahead by 10 years…Midway Manufacturing Company’s IBM PC MS-DOS ports (1993-95) of Midway’s Mortal Kombat arcade games (1992-95) are notable for their responsive controls and digitized motion-captured sprites. Unlike the stripped-down Amiga versions, the PC versions are practically 1:1 arcade-perfect ports.In addition, an early VGA port that impressed me was Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja of 1991 by Elite Systems Ltd. The game itself didn’t impress me; not even the original coinop was impressive; platform games are not my cup of tea — but it’s how the port displayed, sounded, and performed in 1991 that was impressive. PC Joe & Mac displayed in 256-color non-standard VGA and featured several layers of parallax scrolling.On a technical level PC Joe & Mac evokes a coinop-quality conversion. To be clear, I am not saying that PC Joe & Mac is arcade-perfect, I am saying that it evokes coinop-quality. It’s missing too many pixels to be considered arcade-perfect.[1]After Pentium would come the P2 to P4, the D and the Core 2. In addition, AMD introduced 64 bit CPUs in 2000 via the Opteron and Athlon. However, my commentary is primarily concerned with computer games coded for i808x and i80x86.[2]Only resolutions commonly employed in IBM PC computer games are listed. This goes for color palette and display memory as well.[3]Now, as it pertains to computer games, an actual wave of computer-game releases, IBM PC graphics were at the forefront of all personal computer graphics by 1989 at the earliest. EGA games were at their height; VGA games had not yet reached the halfway mark of their potential. At any rate, one cannot with confidence say that IBM PC 2D graphics were on the level of the Amiga in 1988; nor that its 3D graphics were on the level of the Archimedes in 1987.But even though the IBM PC did not topple the Amiga in 2D when it counted (86-93), it didn’t matter all that much because the Amiga was Doomed, anyway. And I can confidently say, based on the VGA and Amiga games I have covered from the late 80s to early 90s, that VGA could have toppled the Amiga in 2D by 1991 if more coders had striven towards that goal. Also, the Archimedes was toppled in 3D by VGA in 1991 via Falcon 3.0.