Inside Microsoft Entertainment Pack 4

By greg shultz March 21, 2011, 12:27 PM PDT

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Image: NVIDIA

ntIn late 1992, Microsoft released a fourth set of games for Windows 3.0 called the Microsoft Entertainment Pack 4. (I could not track down the exact date of release.)

ntThis version of the Microsoft Entertainment Pack came with only 7 games. It did not come with any IdleWild screen savers.

Image: NVIDIA

ntThe box cover for Microsoft Entertainment Pack 4 showed a collage of game pieces. As you can see, the big selling point for this package was a game called Chip’s Challenge. This version of the game pack was also released on CD, which had a totally different cover design

ntAs I mentioned, the main selling point of the Microsoft Entertainment Pack 4 was a Chip’s Challenge, which was popular Atari game that was ported over to Windows. The object this game is to help Chip find all the computer chips he needs on one level so that he can plug them into the computer socket and move to the next level while avoiding dangerous traps.

ntDr. Black Jack is both a game and a tutorial. At the Basic level Dr. Black Jack reminds you of the rules and offers advice. At the more advanced levels you are on your own and it up to you to avoid going bust as you try to get to 21 and win the pot.

ntMaxWell’s Maniac is an interesting game in which you use a slider gate to separate the red molecules from the blue molecules inside the divided Maxwell chamber. As you achieve separation, you move on to more challenging levels.

ntChess is a pretty advanced, multi-level, chess game that is designed to help you improve your game by highlighting your endangered pieces, listing all moves that have been made, allowing you to back up and reset the board to correct a mistake, as well as saving games for later review

ntGo Figure is a math game that challenges you to arrange the four numbers and any of the operator signs to create an equation that equals the answer provided in the Target box. As you solve an equation puzzle, you advance to the next game level. There are 10 levels and three skill settings.

ntIn Jezz Ball, the goal is to isolate each of the atom balls in as small as possible area by building horizontal and vertical walls. The challenge is to complete a wall before a ball hits it. If a ball hits the wall before it is complete, you lose a life, the wall disappears, and you must start over.

ntA tic-tac-toe game, the object of Tic Tac Drop is to get a select number of balls in a straight line. You can play against the computer or against another player.

ntIn 1994, Microsoft revived the game pack for Windows 3.1 with The Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack.

ntThe Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack came with select games from each of the four packs. There were 13 games in all. Just like version 4, the Best of Microsoft Entertainment Pack did not come with any IdleWild screen savers.

ntThis concludes my look back at the Microsoft Entertainment Packs for Windows 3.x. If you haven’t seen the other galleries, be sure to check them out:

ntInside Microsoft Entertainment Pack 1

ntInside Microsoft Entertainment Pack 2

ntInside Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3

By greg shultz

My first computer was a Kaypro 16 \"luggable\" running MS-DOS 2.11 which I obtained while studying computer science in 1986. After two years, I discovered that I had a knack for writing documentation and shifted my focus over to technical writing.

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