A SkiFree Android port has just hit Google Play, meaning the inescapable 90s PC game is finally available for your phone. Don’t let the name mislead you though. If you want to ski, you will have to pay a small amount of money.
Anyone who had access to a Windows computer in the 90’s will probably have some overriding memory of SkiFree. For some, it might evoke intense nostalgia for the time wasted tearing up the slopes with your little pixelated skier.
Others might have lingering trauma from the ruthless and relentless pursuit of the SkiFree yeti.
It’s All Downhill From Here
The premise of the game is quite simple. You control a little guy with skis and a funny hat. You do so with either the mouse or the arrow keys, and can pick from one of three courses to ski down.
Heading downhill builds up speed, and you’ll need to avoid obstacles. You can ski between flags to rack up points. When you get beyond a certain distance downhill, a yeti shows up, and probably eats you.
The funny thing about the SkiFree Android port is that the game was never really intended for release, commercial or otherwise.
A Hobby Project Turned Microsoft Classic
Microsoft programmer Chris Pirih developed the game as a fun exercise. It only ever reached the public because the program manager of the Windows Entertainment Pack saw him playing it at work.
The manager was so impressed by the game, he included it in the 1991 pack, and the rest is history.
Your takeaway from this probably shouldn’t be that playing games at the office during working hours is the secret to success, but we’re not the boss of you.
Are you interested in some more intense nostalgia? Check out our emulation news on Ratchet And Clank on the AetherSX2.
