Holy crap I just figured the timeline there. 1989 he gets his first IBM compatible PC.

'91 zzt. Then in 92 they go hellishly rapid-fire - from 92 to 95 we get Jill of the Jungle, Epic Pinball, Zone 66, Solar Winds, Xargon, OMF 2097, Jazz Jackrabbit, Radix, and Tyrian.

Within the small pond of PC shareware games, every single one of those was a hit. They had some of the best 2D art and music available in PC games at the time and were solidly fun. Some of them are a bit stiff by modern standards, but they were excellent for their day.

How the hell did Sweeney go from "I just got a computer" to that in so few years?

I've wasted my life.