Best Amiga 500 Games: Tried, Tested and Rated in 2024

The Commodore Amiga 500 was the first major 16-bit home computing system released for the home that focused as much on gaming as it did on computing.

In direct competition to the more dominant and powerful Atari Corporation, and the Atari St computer, Amiga stood in stark contrast and battled Goliath.

It is often to this day argued that the Amiga 500 was a better machine than the Atari ST.

I am slightly biased on this, as I was the excitedly proud owner of an Atari ST machine for a Christmas present with the infamous 20 game Powerpack.

That said, my cousin had a Commodore Amiga 500 machine, and often brought it round to my grandparents to play when we all visited together.

The grey sleek and slender design looked every bit a powerful machine.

Although it was touted as a home computer that could be used for spreadsheets, graphs, word documents and printing, in reality the desire fuelling the sales of the Amiga was the huge number of amazing games available.

Amiga graphics were often said to be slightly better than its Atari competitor, and it is generally accepted that the Amiga’s onboard sound system was far superior.

I have played more games on the Amiga than I probably have any other home computer or console system.

Through years of searching, and a renewed interest in this revolutionary machine, I set about playing some of those lost and hidden titles, as well as those that made the Amiga famous back in the day, in search for the best titles that pushed the boundaries of the machines capabilities.

Here are the best Amiga 500 games, tried, tested, and rated.

Targhan

Targhan, by Silmarils, is a little hidden gem of a game on the Amiga 500.

Set in medieval times the hero sets off within a fantasy land exploring villages, fairies, beautiful backdrops, platforms, half man half beast characters and cyclopes.

Not only is Targhan absorbing but Silmarils done an amazing job with the graphics, backdrops, and scenery which are as immersive as the story and beautiful to watch.

I am a little biased as Targhan is one of my all-time childhood favourite games.

I originally played it on the Atari ST but found the Amiga 500 port just as good.

It was the whole immersive experience of the game, with great graphics, good albeit slightly slow gameplay and the controls were pretty well developed to considering gameplay is designed for a joystick with single fire button.

Whether it’s sword fighting, jumping over or down wells or grabbing and throwing stars, each element is well crafted together in this, what was, budget title.

Throwing the disc in to the side of the Amiga 500 to play this one again after such a long time was a real and true treat.

Gauntlet 2

Who else remembers 4-player arcade cabinets calling out that ‘Red Warrior has shot the food’ or ‘Blue Wizard is about to die’.

These classic retro catchphrases took hold, as Gauntlet 2 worked its way in to legendary status in the retro gaming market.

Various ports exist of Gauntlet and Gauntlet 2, but it wasn’t until the 16-bit Amiga 500 version launched that the game truly came to life in the home.

Whether playing as Warrior, Elf, Valkyrie, or of course Wizard, each of the 100 levels of the game are at a ferocious speed, and Gauntlet 2 must win an award for what has to be more enemies on one screen in a single game than any other game.

Each level is a series of maze, with keys opening certain doors or coloured blocks on the floor opening up various walls.

The goal is to find the Exit on each level whilst avoiding or shooting all enemies.

The enemies like ghosts, goblins and even Death appear from ‘houses’, and they keep coming until each ‘house’ is destroyed.

Hundreds of enemies can appear on a single screen.

In four player mode things can be tough, in one player mode the challenge is like eating custard with a fork.

The rewards for completing the game and making it through all 100 levels are rather wonderful, but to get there will require a great amount of fortitude, formidable shooting, and fortune!

The top down graphics are great, the gameplay is fast a chaotic and controls are very good to get to grips with and master, although angles shooting between the rocks can be a bit tricky.

Thoroughly recommended!

Robocop

Robocop was one of the most watched films to come out of the 1980s!

The story of the cop Alex Murphy, who was brutally killed by a group of Detroit gangsters, was transformed by the US Government into Robocop.

The late 1980s started depicting how science fiction in technology were soon to be a reality through the advancing and progressive leaps and bounds in technology.

It was felt that everything was possible, and films such as Robocop sounded plausible by the year 2020.

How naïve and innocent we all were.

The game Robocop on the Amiga 500 saw sales hit record numbers.

Fortunately, Ocean managed to do an incredible job, and incorporated so many big and small details from the big screen to the home computer system, even down to the baby food Robocop used as nourishment (as he couldn’t handle solids).

Robocop isn’t easy, although I seem to remember it was one of the first games, I managed to complete out of any platformer type game I played.

So, it will always have that fond memory.

Although gameplay isn’t the quickest, the graphics are top notch, and controls are very easy to get along with.

Sensible World of Soccer

Until Sensible World of Soccer released all football and soccer games on almost every console and home video system were taken very seriously.

Whether Peter Beardsley International Football on the ZX Spectrum, or the intricacies of Football Manager on the Commodore 64, there was a familiar formality involved.

Sensible World of Soccer broke that mode and went out to be one of the most successful games on the Amiga 500.

Not only was it revolutionary with its top down crazy gameplay, but it was fully licensed with teams from all over the world and the actual players playing for those clubs back in the early 1994, which is a nice blast from the past.

There is a myriad of options, strategies and even formations to choose from to build the ultimate team to play in either friendlies or in tournaments.

There is either a manager career mode, player career mode or be a player manager to embark upon, so plenty of options for all types of football game fans.

There’s even a default computer vs computer mode which is very random, and can catch first time players out (or those returning to the game after a while) but when selecting a team press once for computer to take full control (and team name turns red), press fire a second time for the you to control the players (team name turns blue) – or press fire three times for manager mode (team name turns purple).

The gameplay isn’t without its faults.

The controls are ok, but the ball doesn’t always stick to the players foot as it does in FIFA titles and sometimes it feels the players have a mind of their own.

Sensible World of Soccer for the Amiga 500 isn’t easy even in medium mode, and understanding the dynamics of the game is tricky, but its this that makes the game fun.

The graphics are nothing to write home about, but they were purposefully kept like that in order to keep as much packed into the exciting gameplay as possible.

The gamble paid off.

A great game, tough but enjoyable to pick up again 30 years after its initial release.

Lotus Turbo Challenge 2

There’s something about the name of this game that sparks incredible nostalgia of want.

I can only assume I read a review in an old Amiga 500 or maybe ST Format back in the day, and wanted it badly.

This was the days before the internet and YouTube of course, so desire came from flashy TV ads or magazine reviews with the most enticing screenshots imaginable.

It was a want that was never fulfilled.

For some reason this game and myself never crossed paths in the 1990s, so it was with excited trepidation that I get to experience it today and see whether the 30 years of wait was worth it.

Well, the wait was worth it.

Not only was I pleasantly surprised, but it has become one of my favourite Amiga 500 games now.

The game allows you to start straight away in game mode, without going through a myriad of options, and straight into the Forest Stage.

Any game such as Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 (the successor to, but not to be confused with, Lotus Esprit Turbo) will always be compared to the legendary Outrun.

Outrun had its faults but I sometimes wonder whether the arcade version, and the music, really set a nostalgic trip for players who had to return time and time again.

Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 breaks another mould with responsive controls, and sleek driving and navigation around the circuit.

Even changing gears but using pushing the joystick up works well.

Graphics are beautifully rendered, and not far short of the type of graphics seen on 32-bit consoles, rather than the Amiga 500’s 16-bit capabilities.

A beautifully designed game worth playing today.

Lemmings

Lemmings, I believe, has had a version appear on almost every single console and home computer system there has been.

Obviously lemmings are known for jumping off cliffs in herds, but this is a complete and total myth handed down through generations of storytelling.

The myth allowed for the glorious creation of this puzzle based game where 100 lemmings follow each other through various cave scenes in which pitfalls need to be worked around in order to save as many lemmings as possible, and get them safely to the exit.

This may mean making one lemming in the group a building to create a bridge, or even to self-destruct to allow a hole in the mantel for other lemmings to fall in to for their own safety.

It’s up to the player to quickly decide on the best course of action for the puzzle ahead, whilst the lemmings all walk unawares to their doom, and redirect them on to the best course.

Make a mistake a lemming after lemming can meet their demise until you make corrections as you go.

Rescue enough lemmings and make it to the next level, but if too many perish then its game over.

It’s so imaginative it’s still appearing on consoles to this day in many guises, and was a firm favourite on Amiga 500, Atari and Window PCs back in the 1990s.

The controls are great but fast fingers and creative logical wit are needed in the moment to succeed.

Graphics are good, and certainly perfected well as not to take the players eye away from the task at hand.

Beautifully concepted and delivered.

Speedball 2

For me, Speedball 2 on the Amiga 500 is one of the top 5 games to come out of the 1990s.

It pushed the absolute boundaries on the 16-bit Amiga 500, and created one amazing, brutal, game.

Set into the future where players wear steel armour, it resembles a cross between American Football and Ice Hockey in a way, but much more brutal and anything goes.

Smash, kick and knock opponents out of the way to take possession of a small ball in which is thrown between players in a playing field similar to an ice hockey rink, whilst scoring into a goal similar to an ice hockey goal.

What Speedball 2 managed to do so well is combine amazing graphics and exciting fast gameplay in to one game.

Usually games on 16-bit devices forgo one or the other in an attempt to reach mass appeal and success, but Speedball 2 managed to do both.

It really has everything for all sports game enthusiasts and is the reason it always appears on the best Amiga 500 game lists.

If combined gameplay and graphics were not already top notch, the controls are sublime too.

You can really immerse yourself into Speedball 2 and wonder where the hours went.

It’s fast, fun, and brutal – and highly recommended!

Nebulus

Nebulus is one of those games where everything fits and works so incredibly well.

Playing as the creature Pogo, who resembles a green frog, your mission is to ascend the rotating tower passing various creatures, obstacles and flying objects to reach the top.

Once the top is reached, the tower collapses down to the ground where Pogo returns to his underwater vessel for a quick underwater bonus round before moving on to the next tower in the sequence, with its own unique challenges and pitfalls.

It may sound simple, but it is incredibly challenging whilst being rewarding too.

This unique puzzle based platformer became an incredible cult classic back in the day, and saw it’s offering developed on to many different ports.

It’s the quirkiness of Pogo, and the brilliant graphics, gameplay and timeliness of the who concept that still makes Nebulus a firm favourite with retro gamers to this day.

Nebulus is equally as frustrating as it is rewarding.

One knock from a flying object can send poor Pogo from the top of the tower, insight of the exit, to almost the bottom.

It wouldn’t be so bad, but time is of the essence, as you’re pitted against a countdown timer too.

The controls are excellent, and need to be for such a fast moving game such as this.

The graphics are spritely and beautifully crafted too.

Nebulus takes time to master simply because each area of the tower may need to be learnt. Objects fly in at the same points, walkways collapse at the same point etc…

Once Nebulus is mastered, it’s a game that drives retro games back to again and again.

A true retro classic!

Space Harrier

Although my fondest memories of Space Harrier is on playing it on my old beloved Atari ST through the PowerPack edition, I know through playing on friends machines in the 1990s that the Amiga 500 version of Space Harrier is just as good, and in terms of music score potentially better – I say through gritted teeth.

Space Harrier has a quality music score that really takes you back, as well as some of the fastest and most frantic gameplay you’re likely to find on an Amiga 500.

Armed with the biggest flame thrower, and hover kit, the hero embarks through alien worlds at blistering pace destroying anything and everything that comes into his line of sight.

The aim is not necessarily to destroy but to dodge and not let the hero be hit with a cactus, block of rock or a flame throwing dragon.

Make the way to the end of level boss, succeed, and pass to the next alien world in search of the ultimate goal.

Due to the very fast gameplay and quick rendering frame rate, the game has some pixels issues and isn’t as smooth as some 16-bit games, but that didn’t stop the army of supporters singing Space Harrier’s praises back in the day.

If you can forgive the rendering, the gameplay is wonderfully hectic, and the music score and voiceovers (such as ‘Get Ready!’) is definitely to be remembered.

The controls though are great and very responsive despite the fast action, this really helped Space Harrier on the Amiga 500 make a name for itself in the retro gaming community.

Elite

Elite started its expansive journey on the ZX Spectrum.

The most innovative, surprising, and somewhat hard to believe aspect about Elite is its vastness and ability to go anywhere you like and do anything you want, and be whoever you wanted (from cargo merchants, to pirates, to commuters etc…)

And in the early days all programmed on to a 48k Sinclair Spectrum!

Now fortunately the developers were not so restricted on the Amiga 500 and were able to cram more visuals in than was ever possible on the ZX Spectrum.

Space is a very large place.

Elite takes such an sprawling vastness of space and has created an entire Galaxy around the game, in which all planets are possible to visit and the game takes on the nature you want it to.

This is incredibly impressive and was not really seen again until GTA launched on the PS3.

Elite starts as Commader Jameson within the docked environment for his spacecraft ready to decide what his mission is going to be.

Perhaps to buy or sell, find planets, ask about prices of all sorts of merchandise to become a trader or simply want to explore the galaxy.

The Galaxy menu options gives you a broad view of the Galaxy you are within, with some isometric views of various planets.

Choose a planet, and select the Planet option to see more details about the planet and who lives there.

For example Planet Teorge is an agricultural world which is 27.2 light years from your docked location and is home to white bony lobster type creatures – with a description that ‘Teorge is a revolting dump’.

Perhaps I won’t be booking a summer holiday there with Expedia!

The Launch button does exactly as it states, it launches you out in to the Galaxy to the planet or location selected.

Elite is a slow but methodical game designed to take you in to its sci-fi world and become the trader, explorer or pirate you were born to be.

It also isn’t a typical plug and play type game.

Instruction manuals will need to be read, controls to be learnt and overall playability to be discovered of course.

That said, take the time and Elite can become one of your most favourite games ever!

Suggested Reading: Best Atari 2600 Games, tried and tested – relive the retro gaming memories from the 70s, where gaming first began!

Syndicate

I had the very fondest memories playing Syndicate on the Amiga back in the 1990s, usually during lunchtime or after school with my friend James.

Now, the Amiga as far as I remember wasn’t actually James’ but his big brother who was at work until early evening, so gave us a good hour or two to enjoy games before he arrived home.

Syndicate is one of those great adventure mission type games where you enlist gang members to follow you and do your bidding on the mean streets.

Syndicate is another of those games that developed a cult like following back in the day, and is often spoke about at retro gaming conventions to this day.

The game doesn’t have the fastest action and gameplay to it, and graphics did not necessarily push the limits of the 16-bit Amiga, but what did absorb you was the story and missions set out.

Despite only having the mouse or joystick with which to control your Syndicate and their posse, many of the controls, moves and syndicate directions are easy to pull off.

I often find myself shouting ‘come on’ at the screen when playing, as moving a little faster would be nice, but great games aren’t meant to be completed in an hour.

Theme Park

Theme Park is considered to be the second biggest and most popular sim game after Sim City of course.

As a player you take charge of building a complete theme park set with all manner of rides, attractions, eateries and restrooms.

Prices are set, finishing touches are made and the doors are open to all the theme park visitors waiting outside for the grand opening.

The aim is to keep the theme park operating and making a profit.

There are of course many obstacles along the way like vomiting children, and rides that break down eating in to your profits whilst not in operation.

Having to deal with frustrated children and parents isn’t easy either.

It never is!

The graphics are fun and quirky, and the mouse operation is a doddle.

It can take a little while for the game to get really going, but that is the whole idea behind simulation games.

They are not plug and play.

Theme Park set rise to other games in the series such as Theme Hospital etc.. but it was on the back of the popularity of Theme Park on the Amiga that set the foundations for other theme and simulation experiences.