How to play OLD games..?


  1. Posts : 62
    Windows 10
       #1

    How to play OLD games..?


    We purchased many CD based games for our first child (Spy Fox, Putt-Putt, Pajama Sam, etc).
    These games have great re-play value, and now our third child wants to play them on her Win10 Dell 2-in-1.
    However, they all say they are 16-bit games and can't be played.
    Is there any way to play these older games on a newer computer?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 62
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #2

    I tried DosBox, but they did not work.
    Looks like most of them have been recompiled for Steam, I guess I will go that route (which stinks, because it means I have to buy them again)
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
       #3

    Even if you had a 98SE VM running you would likely run into problems with the cd based games while some of those games may actually be seen available to play in your web browser. Windows 3.1 and 95 are seen in that regard.

    As for cd based Duke 3D being a popular Legacy dos to W9x title saw an emulator that will even work on the 64bit Windows. For any old Legacy games something like that would be needed unless the files can be unpacked onto the local drive to run as stand alone folders where then you would be able to run them with DOSBox. The setup for a good number of old 8bit as well as 16bit dos games would see that done by simply unpacking the folders onto the local C drive. You would then enter the game's folder at the dos prompt or dos windows in 95, 98 for 16nit not 8bit to run the game by entering the name of the game's executable file.

    Steam will be the proprietary option where you log into the online account and buy the digitally remastered versions for each of the old game titles. Often you end up with a better game out of the deal however since everything including graphics has been updated for the newer NT based 32bit and 64bit versions of Windows. Or the newer version of the same has been developed.

    Now for actual run off cd being 16bit there is the possibility of getting them running again by way of a VM if you recall if you could run the cd on XP at all or were only seeing them on 9x. You can easily set up an XP VM on the latest VMware Workstation 12 Player to see if that would be an option with the latest VMware tools that supports adding access to a physical drive. The DOSBox option however depends on whether or not you find individual self contained folders for each game on the cd itself. Once unpacked you then simply mount the game folder one at a time for each of the games.
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 19
    Windows 10 pro 64bit
       #4

    try Dosbox
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 62
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #5

    try Dosbox
    Did you even read the thread?

    Steam will be the proprietary option where you log into the online account and buy the digitally remastered versions for each of the old game titles. Often you end up with a better game out of the deal however since everything including graphics has been updated for the newer NT based 32bit and 64bit versions of Windows. Or the newer version of the same has been developed.
    This is true, I purchased the games through Steam and they work great no problem.
    My only complaint is I am buying them AGAIN. Nintendo is the king of that.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 3,367
    W10 Pro x64/W7 Ultimate x64 dual boot main - W11 Triple Boot Pending
       #6

    If you have a Steam account you simply download the same games you already bought without the need to buy each one all over again! I found that out the hard way with them having one account closed right up simply from not having a jpeg on the spot when asking why a cd key wouldn't work following the move from XP to Vista years back! Bought the Orange Box a couple of times for the next new account I then had to set up and ended up with invalid key errors again until finding the games could be downloaded from their servers following any clean install of Windows right about the time the first 7 beta builds were available.

    They make sure you spend multiple times by not providing information on how the games are still there if you change a version or even move into a brand new pc! As for Nitendo, PS, XBox systems I wouldn't have any use for those anyways not being pc type to begin with. Most of any gaming here is done mostly to chill for a few before taking a Siesta in slumberland.

    Now for some of the older Dos/9x like Duke 3D(Duke Nukem second 16bit sequel to first and second 8 bit dos games) someone developed a Duke 3D emulator that crashes automatically when finishing the first level and the second is loading. Other old titles likely may have seen simular emulators. What Steam does however is buy up the options for each updated sequel to the popular older titles to keep them from being stand alone games you can buy and run separately without a Steam account! Duke Nukem Forever was a late come back sequel grabbed up as well as Wolfenstein that followed Wolf 3D the old dos game and 98-XP sequel Return to CastleWolfenstein that followed. Soldier of Fortune 98-ME-XP only followed by SOF II then saw Steam grab up Soldier of Fortune: Payback.

    Those are a few of the old style popular 1st person shooter titles Steam was able to manipulate. Half Life from the 90s turned into Half Life 2 and Episode One and Two sequels you likely also heard of all Steam driven. Steam is to pc games like MS is to OSs! That's how that goes.
      My Computers


 

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