SkiFree is a simple little skiing game that was first released in 1991 as part of the Microsoft Windows Entertainment Pack. I got a copy free with a 10-pack of Verbatim 3.5-inch floppy disks. It was all good fun until the abominable snowmen started showing up.
The primitive pixel monsters in SkiFree were a complete surprise to the new player, giving chase after the completion of a normal free-style, slalom or tree slalom course. Suddenly the game became an early version of the endless runner, the skier pursued by first one and then two or three creatures hungry for his flesh. Imagine completing a game in Madden football and then having zombies take the field, completely unexpected.
Released this week on iOS along with Rodent’s Revenge, another 1991 Windows game, SkiFree looks to be a faithful port of the original, though as Tommy Tornroos of GearSprout tells Destructoid, the name SkiFree was taken so they had to go with SkeeFree for the game’s listing. The mobile version runs $.99, or you can head to game creator Chris Pirih’s page and grab a 32-bit version of the 16-bit game for free.
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