Play Buck Rogers - Countdown to Doomsday (USA, Europe) Online

Game Overview

Buck Rogers - Countdown to Doomsday is one of those old-school Gold Box RPGs that somehow ended up on the Genesis, and honestly? It’s a weird little gem. You start off leading a ragtag crew of rebels against the Russo-American Mercantile (RAM), which sounds like a dystopian Walmart but with way more lasers. The whole "hero from the past" thing is mostly background flavor—what you actually do is manage a squad of misfits through turn-based fights and some surprisingly deep dialogue choices.

First ten minutes: You’re picking your team, figuring out who gets the cool energy weapons, and realizing that yes, the alien lizard guy is absolutely worth bringing along. The combat’s grid-based and tactical, so if you’ve played stuff like Pool of Radiance, it’ll feel familiar—just with more sci-fi jargon and fewer orcs. The writing’s a bit clunky, but there’s charm in how seriously it takes its pulpy premise. If you dig retro RPGs with a side of space opera, this one’s worth a look.