Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, Wolfenstein 3D, DOOM, Geoff Crammond's Formula 1 Grand Prix, Sim City, Sim City 2000, Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon, Sid Meier's Civilization, Mario's Game Gallery, Transport Tycoon, Transport Tycoon Deluxe, IndyCar Racing, David Braben and Ian Bell's Elite, Elite II: Frontier, Elite III: Frontier First Encounters, Carmageddon, Command & Conqueror, Road Rash, Destruction Derby, Micro Machines, Dizzy, F-15 Strike Eagle, FIFA 96, Road and Track Presents The Need for Speed, The Need for Speed Special Edition, Grand Theft Auto, Hexen, Indiana Jones, Star Wars: Dark Forces, Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off Road, Ignition, Death Rally, Screamer, Screamer 2, Screamer Rally, Crazy Cars III, Lotus III The Ultimate Challenge, Test Drive, Marble Madness,, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Mortal Kombat, Network Q RAC Rally Championship, Outrun, Paperboy, Sid Meier's Pirates, Pole Position, Prince of Persia, Primal Rage, Raiden, Rampage, Rayman, Test Drive II, Tetris, Super Tetris, The Settlers II, Tomb Raider, Turbo Outrun, Warcraft, Wacky Wheels...
Hey, do we have enough of those games?? I don't think so; so many to play!!
Not all of these games were played on Commodore 64, Amiga 500, Amiga CD32, ZX Spectrum, NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, N64, or on the arcade. These are all MS-DOS games that existed ever since the first version of Microsoft Windows came out for retail, as Bill Gates made one of the world's biggest technological contributions since 1981. The Microsoft Disk Operating System allowed people to play many different kinds of games as more technological graphical interfaces, programming cores, and hardware features were on the rise. It started out from the golden years, but then in the 90s, things were going advanced with the rise of three-dimensional texture mapping thanks to brilliant programmers and pioneers. Would you want to be influenced by Namco's Winning Run, Sega's Virtual Racing or Daytona USA, or even the meme of Nintendo through Super Mario Bros.?
Anyway, we are now living in the world where we're totally far apart from the golden days of computer technology, having to be replaced by today's consoles such as the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 3. But many people are still in the urge to play old-fashioned computer games because of their nostalgic love and how things were sort of around the curves by smart programmers that today, they take over the industry. Today's operating systems are no longer compatible with 80s and 90s games, but there is one application in particular that you can use to play your old games at your convenience: DOSBox.
DOSBox is a DOS-based emulator that you can use to play your old DOS games and run different DOS-based applications. Today, it's been used by several official video game companies to re-release their original games, including id Software, 3D Realms, and Activision Blizzard [from what I've seen on Wikipedia through the DOSBox article]. It's even used by the game shop website GOG.com, which markets old computer games without having to use Digital Rights Management; the games they sell are often modified so that way they can be played properly on DOSBox without running into glitches, program, or setup errors.
So, do you want to play your own DOS games that you've favoured by using original mediums or downloading? The first few steps you'll need to do are roughly common for three different ways on how to get your game up to your computer. What you'll need is enough space for both DOSBox and your game on your hard drive, an Internet connection, and optionally a floppy drive with a USB connector or a drive that accepts compact discs since some games are stored in compact discs. This is in case you decide to use the original game files so that way you can experience the same kind of feeling compared to downloaded game folders, because they are often cracked and can be damaged. This means if you decide to download games online, you won't always necessarily have the same game files as the original, and you may run into glitches, problems, or game crashes because of missing files and folders. You won't have the same enjoyment as you had when playing the original game.
Here's how to use DOSBox for your gameplay:
2. On the right side of the menu bar just underneath the logo, you'll see "Latest version:" with the latest version number of the application. At the time this blog was written, the latest version was 0.74. Click there.
3. You are on the Downloads page. This is where you can download the appropriate version of DOSBox according to your operating system. Before you download the actual installer or the source folder from the site, in case you need to use the application in a different language, you can download a language file from underneath the box containing the links to frontend downloads. Click on the language file you need, then once saving it in your documents folder, unzip it, then read the instructions on how to put it in DOSBox.
4. Download the appropriate installer or compressed folder of DOSBox to your documents folder. If you have downloaded the installer, click on the file in your system explorer twice, then follow the on-screen instructions for installation. If you have downloaded the application as a compressed folder, all you have to do is un-compress it in your desired directory, then open it in your system explorer and you will eventually see the application item in your list of files called "DOSBox."
At this point, there are three different paths you can take to get your game files you need. The paths will eventually merge and the rest of the process is the same. The computer game you wish to play is made up of many different files and directories working together in a common application, and is often in a folder, either compressed, or not compressed, then stored in a medium. You need to take one of the three paths to get your files: from the Internet, from the floppy disk, or from the CD.
If you decide to get the game from the Internet, you need to make sure that after you download the game, you do not exceed your maximum usage or your maximum allocated time since login. Otherwise you will be fined for overuse. If you decide to get the game from the floppy disk, you need to get a floppy drive, either an external drive with a USB cable, or an internal floppy drive mounted on your computer. If you decide to get the game files from CD, you'll need a disc drive that is compatible with CDs.
Here's how you can get your game from the Internet:
1. Go to any site that offers you a library of games you can download one of them separately, such as Abandonia, DOS Games Archive, DOS Games, Free Game Empire, or ROM Sites such as Emuparadise.
2. Click on the appropriate links to get the game you want, especially with trying to find a game based on a genre or a title.
3. When you find the game, in case you need to sign in, sign up on the site and make any payments if necessary.
4. You want to make sure that the game you're looking for does not have the label "protected," because if you see it, that means the game is protected by the Entertainment Software Association, and under legal information, you will not be able to download the game folder. You will need to get the game someplace else in this case.
5. If the game folder is downloadable, proceed to downloading it. You want to save the folder in a good place, usually in the same directory to where your DOSBox folder is, if you've downloaded the application as a compressed folder, or in a folder of your own to where you can save your games.
6. Un-compress the folder if necessary.
Here's how you can get your game from floppy drive:
1. If your drive is external and has a USB connector, connect it to one of your USB ports. Be sure that the drive you have is appropriate for your region, especially with the region your game is set into.
2. Let the drive load itself up onto the operating system. You may get a popup saying that the drive needs a driver; if you do, download it online, or install it from a CD that came with the drive.
3. Insert the required floppy disk into your drive. Wait until the operating system recognizes the program.
4. Go to the Computer utility (in Microsoft it's called My Computer), then open up the floppy drive instead of running the drive.
5. Copy and paste all the files from the floppy disc into a new folder that's either next to the folder of DOSBox, if you've downloaded the program from a compressed folder, or into a folder that holds all the DOS games you want to play on DOSBox if you downloaded the program installer. You may have to wait for a few minutes or a while for the copy to complete, because floppy discs are often slow, even with today's fast drives.
6. In case your copy-and-paste step gets stuck, stop, then try again. If it continually persists, I'm sorry to tell you, but you'll have to find another way to get your game onto your system.
Here's how to get your game from CD:
1. If you are using an external CD drive with a USB connector, connect it to one of the USB ports on your computer.
2. Let the drive load itself up onto the operating system. You may get a popup saying that the drive needs a driver; if you do, download it online, or install it from a CD that came with the drive.
3. Press the eject button on your CD drive.
4. Insert the CD onto the disc case.
5. Press the eject button again, or give the disc case a slight push back in, to put the CD inside the drive. If the drive you're using does not use a case, all you have to do is slip the CD in.
6. Wait for the CD to load. If it does load up, great! If it doesn't, try again; keep persisting, and you'll have to find another way to get the game files you need to play.
7. Go onto the Computer utility of your system (in Microsoft, it's called My Computer) and open up the CD that's in your running drive instead of running it.
8. Copy and paste all the files from the CD into a new folder that's either next to the DOSBox folder, if you've downloaded the program as a compressed folder, or in a folder that holds all the DOS games you want to play if you downloaded the program installer.
9. In case your copy-and-paste step gets stuck, stop, then try again. You must use a different way to get the game files into your system if this problem keeps persisting.
Now that you got the game files onto your system, all you have to do now is prep yourself up to play the game you desire. I found a much easier way to start a game instead of using commands. Here's how to get it done:
1. You may want to configure your settings first before running DOSBox to make sure that when the program is running, you don't run into any startup problems. In addition, you can adjust the settings to enhance the graphics, sound, language, or how the program performs. Go to the directory to where you installed or downloaded DOSBox to, then open up the manual, which is a .txt file.
2. Follow the instructions if you wish.
3. If you want to configure DOSBox, click on the batch file that says "Options" as the last word in the file name. This will open up a text editor like Notepad on Windows.
4. Follow the comments, then use the values the document tells you on what you can use to adjust the settings of the program accordingly. Make sure you type in the values as accurate and correct as possible, because if you run a game with a mistake in the configuration file, you'll run into problems.
5. Save the file, then close the editor.
6. Now, open up two windows running the file explorer, and make one go to the folder that is where DOSBox is installed. The other is where all the game files are located.
7. Find the game application; it's usually named with an abbreviated title of the game, or otherwise contains one word of the title. That's where all the files for the game are executed.
Suppose you want to play id's Quake. Go to the game folder, then open up the folder called "QUAKE_SW." When you see the application named "QUAKE," that's the program you want to run.
In case you want to set game settings for the game first, there's usually an application file called "INSTALL" or "SETUP". The step to run them is the same as how to run the game file itself. If there isn't a setup file, you do not need to run the install or setup application to run the game. But if there is, you might want to check it out to make sure everything works, especially if you need to select which music and sound boards you want to use.
8. Click and drag the game application file to the item in the first GUI window that says "DOSBox." Do not release the item between two items with your mouse pointer; hover it over the DOSBox executable file. This will open up DOSBox, but will automatically run the game application file and start it up.
9. Check for any startup problems as you wait to load. If you do, fix them accordingly. You may want to follow forum sites for this. Otherwise, keep reading.
There you go! Your game is now loaded and you are ready to play!
Explore everything you got on your DOS game; enjoy experiencing the nostalgic factor the game has for you!
It's up to you to how you want to play the game, as long as you stay focused on what the game is asking you to do. Follow instructions, do your target objectives, and work your way up to the final part of the game, then win for glory!
Here's a few photos to show off how DOS games perform on DOSBox. (You can take in-game photos or record videos of your own while running DOSBox, then rendering and/or uploading videos on YouTube. If you read the program manual, there should be a key combination to take a photo or record your video.
Photos are in PNG format to get the most accurate photo as possible without choppy photo objects generated by other formats such as JPEG. Videos are in AVI format to capture the most accurate pixels possible in the game without risking the size of the videos by other formats such as WMV.)
Photos are in PNG format to get the most accurate photo as possible without choppy photo objects generated by other formats such as JPEG. Videos are in AVI format to capture the most accurate pixels possible in the game without risking the size of the videos by other formats such as WMV.)
On Microsoft Windows, press CTRL+F5 to take a photo, and CTRL+ALT+F5 to start and stop recording an on-screen video. To access the saved files, click on the "Screenshots & Recordings" batch file in the directory where DOSBox is installed or saved on your hard drive.
Oh No More Lemmings!
Quake
Microprose Grand Prix 2
Duke Nukem 3D
Transport Tycoon
Frontier First Encounters
Lemmings
IndyCar Racing
Mario's Game Gallery
Transport Tycoon Deluxe
Simcity
Microprose Formula 1 Grand Prix
Terminal Velocity
Alright; well, that does it for this blog! It took me more than two hours to write it and an extra 20 minutes to shoot all PNG photos! Please be sure to keep in touch with me.
Follow me through the following pages and be sure to like my e-book page on Facebook for support!!
E-book: https://www.facebook.com/TheAspergerComputerGregDes
E-book now available! Description over here: http://gregorypdesrosiersmontreal.blogspot.ca/2013/07/the-asperger-computer-self-published.html
(Buy a copy of this book for $3.44!)
E-book now available! Description over here: http://gregorypdesrosiersmontreal.blogspot.ca/2013/07/the-asperger-computer-self-published.html
(Buy a copy of this book for $3.44!)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gregory-Desrosiers/171954446270382?ref=hl
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GregoryDes
Google+: Search up "Gregory Desrosiers" in the Search Engine, then click on the profile that has a photo of me with two thumbs up.
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Bammer2001
Okay, I hope you have a good evening! I'll see you later with new blogs!
Please make a donation to me for an advertising campaign for my e-book, The Asperger Computer! All donations will be kept track and shall be used for a Facebook advertising campaign. Optimistically, I should have a donated budget of $100 before making way for a much larger Facebook ad campaign for my e-book. Donations exceeding the budget will either add up to the budget for the mass ad campaign, or to boost a post, primarily for the status on Facebook sharing all the links for people to buy my e-book!If you donate more than $4.00 CAD, you will get my e-book for free. You aren't necessarily paying for my e-book by doing so because all of that $4.00 and over donated will be spent for advertising, to fulfill the purpose of "fundraising" or "not-for-profit" campaign.
Come support my efforts!
0 comments:
Post a Comment