MS-DOS Abandonware
How to Play Old MS-DOS Abandonware Games
With modern operation systems(OS) based on Windows, Linux or MAC OS, you mostly cannot play old games designed for MS-DOS or old Windows distributions like Windows 3.1 or 95. This article shows your the possibilities of how to play those games.
If you have an old game and an OS that cannot play it properly, you have following options:
Emulator
This option is mostly reasonable for DOS games even when there are some Windows emulators for Linux or MAC. Emulator is a program, that can run a different program in an environment typical for this program. For example MS-DOS emulator for Windows can run MS-DOS programs in Windows environment.
The best DOS emulator you can find is definitely DOSBOX. About 70% games run in default configuration and you can customize settings for almost every old DOS game. There are several PC emulators like BOCHS but they mostly have poor performance and you will probably not be able to play more complex games. PC emulator is a program emulating a complete PC, with a DOS image, you can boot up a whole new virtual computer. Those emulators are quite ineffective in compare with virtualization mentioned later. You can google some more stuff if interested, just look for "DOS emulator" or "PC emulator" for your system.
Something a little else is VDMSound Project. It emulates old sound card and other hardware to allow playing old DOS games directly under Windows. Unfortunately, this emulator is currently not working with Windows Vista and 7. But if you have NT/2000/XP system it's definitely worth a try,
DOSBOX
I will focus on DOSBOX DOS emulator because it is a top of all possible emulators. DOSBOX is available for a wide range of OS including Windows, Linux, MAC and even Solaris is supported. There are also a lot of different frontends available to download at dosbox page. Complete documentation is available here. We will focus here only at some specific options.
When you install DOSBOX, you can play your old games pretty easy. In Windows, you can drag&drop game executable file at the desktop icon and the game will start instantly, detailed description is located here, with workaround for other OS. DOSBOX has some shortcuts to enter/leave fullscreen, change graphics, etc. those shortcuts are available here. Take your time to browse the documentation a bit, it cannot hurt you. Those basic information will be enough to play a wide area of games. Some games however require some special settings to work. every DOSBOX installation contains a configuration file. Name and location can differ based on OS but when you find some game not working with default settings, you will have to change it. Please note, that you will need a specific configuration file for every game that don't work with default settings. You can use program parameter -userconf to load a specific configuration file. Please keep in mind that there can be multiple .EXE files located in your game directory. Refer to the game manual about the meaning of every file if not sure. When you start a DOSBOX without a parameter, you will get a DOS shell. All commands you can use are listed here. You can also use some utilities, take a closer look at MOUNT (for mounting disk devices including CD-ROM), CONFIG (For managing configuration files) and KEYB or IMGMOUNT can be pretty usefull.
Virtualization
In computing, virtualization is the facility that allows multiple operating systems to simultaneously share processor resources in a safe and efficient manner, a facility generically known as hardware virtualization. In the late 1990s x86 virtualization was achieved by complex software techniques which overcame the processor's lack of virtualization support and attained reasonable performance. In the mid 2000s, both Intel and AMD added hardware support to their processors making virtualization software simpler, and later hardware changes provided substantial speed improvements. Source: wikipedia.org
Virtualization is a good option to run both Windows or DOS games. You just have to setup a virtual machine and install an old Windows distribution or a simple DOS. Ideally install Windows 95/98 if you have some and you will get a DOS boot capability for free. If you wish to install a DOS only I recommend FreeDOS. It's free and has a lot of modern useful tools included. You can get a nice full distribution packed to an ISO image.This method is unfortunately much more complex and requires some basic skills with OS installation and with DOS OS. Anyway there is a project called RetroUSB that can be very helpful since you can boot an image directly to you virtual machine without a further configuration.
There are several virtualization tools that you can get. Windows users will probably choose a VirtualPC because it can do the job fine and is available for free. There are several other tools like Xen or Qemu but they require advanced computer skills to get them to work. See more information at their web pages. The most suitable solution for all OS is definitely VMware. It is basically not for free, but they offer a VMware player for free that is sufficient for our purpose.
Compatibility mode
This option is for old Windows games that cannot be run normally. This can be done under Windows only. Modern Windows OS have a mode called "Compatibility mode". In this mode, you can simulate an environment of older Windows systems like Win95. Some old Windows games for Win95/98 or even earlier will work in this mode. You may be even lucky with some newer DOS games.
You can set a compatibility mode for an old executable you wish to run that was designed for Windows 95 or even older. Some DOS games can run too but don't count on it too much. To initiate this dialog simply select preferences of the executable you wish to run. Selecting all checkboxes is usually a best choice but you can experiment with it.
{docmanlist get_subfolders 1 2}
Documents
4x4 offroad racing.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | 110.59 kB |
| Downloads: | 0 |
As well as recreating off road racing, this game has considerable capability to upgrade your vehicle. There are four choices of vehicle on offer, each of which has its own weight/top-speed/build strength and so on, and thus is suited to different circuits. You can also buy upgrades and repairs, including carrying some spares.
There are four completely different types of course, each taking place on a different surface - Mud, Ice, Desert and Mountains. Each of these is littered with hazards, which can either be painstakingly avoided, or driven through (with the resultant risk of damage).
4th & Inches.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/07/2011 |
| Filesize: | 80.73 kB |
| Downloads: | 0 |
4th & Inches is an action/strategy football game for one or two players. You control the action during the variety of plays that can be called, choose when to take timeouts, and select which players on your team will be on the field. There are two teams (the All-Pros and the Champs) and you can see each players statistics to determine how fast or strong he will be.
4d Sports Tennis.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | 1.12 MB |
| Downloads: | 0 |
Tennis sim from Mindscapes 4D collection.
4d Prince of Persia.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | 613.28 kB |
| Downloads: | 0 |
4D Prince of Persia is a solid unofficial version of Jordan Mechner's classic action/adventure that starts off the same as the original version but will stump even action veterans with devious level design and tougher enemies in the later stages.
For the uninitiated: Prince of Persia was a smash hit when it was released in 1990, and is today still regarded as one of the best games ever made. The combination of fluid, lifelike animations, great Arabian-Night storyline, and devious physical traps and puzzles made it a revolutionary game for the time, and very challenging even to expert gamers.
The tortuous difficulty level of this fanmade version makes it a perfect game for those who finished the original game and are looking for a real challenge to save the princess.
3D WORLD BOXING.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | 351.18 kB |
| Downloads: | 0 |
3D World Boxing is an average boxing game that looks better than it plays. Choosing from dozens of boxers available, you can either play a single match or an entire championship.
3D Cyber Puck.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | 2.92 MB |
| Downloads: | 0 |
One of the more obscure shareware titles by Webfoot, 3D Cyberpuck is a decent futuristic sports game that utilizes good 3D graphics and fluid controls. Best described as a cross between hockey and soccer, your goal in the game is to maintain control over the magnetic ball and keep the opponent in check. What makes the game a lot of fun are the many cool items you can use to make your opponent miserable, including portable walls, gravity wells, boosters, landmines, etc. The registered version (the one on this site, of course) includes network play and many more items to discover and use. Overall, a unique and quite entertaining game, if a bit lacking in long-term play value due to the absence of tournament play or extensive player records. If you like futuristic, unique sports games, give this one a try. If you like neither soccer nor hockey, and have no penchant for arcade-oriented games that require quick reflexes and sharp eyesight, play something else
3-DEMON.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | 21.15 kB |
| Downloads: | 0 |
3D Pac Man.
240 Racing.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/14/2011 |
| Filesize: | 73.99 kB |
| Downloads: | 1 |
20000 leagues under the sea.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | 271.71 kB |
| Downloads: | 0 |
Nice game, based on J. Verne's Novell
1942 The Pacific Air War.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | Empty |
| Downloads: | 0 |
1869.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | Empty |
| Downloads: | 0 |
As a 17th century merchant wanna-be, you need to buy a ship, find a crew, load a few goods on the ship, and sail into the horizon, untill you reach a port with a demand for your goods. Eventually you will have the money to buy more ships, create regular trade routes, and become the head of a regular trading company.
1869 focuses on management and economy, rather than action. Actual sailing is done by plotting a route and then watching the days go by, interrupted only by the occasional random event. Basically you'll be planning routes, watching out for special assignments (that pay well if completed on time) and generally trying to steer clear of the shores of bankruptcy.
The game offers a multiplayer mode (Hot-seat) which can be quite entertaining. Just make sure your friends are also into this particular genre.
1830.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 02/21/2011 |
| Filesize: | Empty |
| Downloads: | 0 |
1830 Railroads & Robin Barons.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | Empty |
| Downloads: | 0 |
Capturing the very look and feel of the board game, all the way to the hexagonal playing field and track tokens, 1830 is a turn based game that emphasizes the successful running of a company and manipulating the stock market rather than managing a railroad. Tracks can be laid, cities connected, trains purchased, and schedules set, but the ultimate goal in the end is making money, even at the cost of your company; you'll wind up buying and selling a number of them during the course of the game anyway.
1000 Miglia.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | Empty |
| Downloads: | 0 |
Based around a classic motor car race from either side of the war, 1000 Miglia (literally '1000 miles')is an unusual racing game. You have to progress across Italy through a number of stages in your rickety 20s car. Keeping within time limits at each point is crucial to staying in the game. The game was perhaps the first to incorporate reliability issues, as your car will sometimes lose a wheel or need other repairs. A lot of effort appears to have gone into giving the game a very lavish historical feel.
007 James Bond.tar
| Date added: | 02/21/2011 |
| Date modified: | 04/06/2011 |
| Filesize: | 228.01 kB |
| Downloads: | 0 |
Text bases James Bond 007 game, play as in the movie
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