Reliving the glory days ... need help

*Rooish* · 10-07-2007, 12:48 PM

Hello folks and folkettes! This isn't exactly a thread about video games; it's about computer games. But, unless I'm horrendously unobservant, there is no computer game category.

When I was young, I used to play some tremendously amazing games on my old computers. (The one I miss most is SimCity 2000.) Now I have Windows XP, and I have tried to download old games from various sites, but most of them require DOS and I don't remember how to use DOS. I downloaded a DOS emulator, and I downloaded old games into folders on my computer and unzipped them. But I'm a little sketchy on the details of whether I'm even unzipping all of these files properly, which one is the actual game file, and how to play the game in DOS. I don't know how to "mount" a game in DOS, whatever that means ... I think I ended up mounting my entire C drive, and I'm not sure what sort of damage that did.

So I probably sound completely computer illiterate now. I can pick up on stuff fast, though. So basically, I'm having trouble unzipping games and running them in DOS. Any suggestions?

*Spitfire* · 10-07-2007, 01:30 PM

PM me a list of games and I'll see if I can find XP versions.

*gobo* · 10-07-2007, 04:45 PM

I really can't help with your question, but I can tell you that games on PC are technically still video games. The alternatives to 'PC' videogames are 'console' and 'hand-held'.

*Rooish* · 10-07-2007, 07:40 PM

All right, good to know, my man gobo.

And Spitty -- I will PM you soon; I'm trying to remember them all.

SimCity 2000 is the main one. Doom, Doom2, Heretic, Duke Nukem 3D... I used to love the first-person shooters. Also Lion and Wolf by Sanctuary Woods. But I can definitely think of more, given time.

*Spitfire* · 10-07-2007, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rooish

All right, good to know, my man gobo.

And Spitty -- I will PM you soon; I'm trying to remember them all.

SimCity 2000 is the main one. Doom, Doom2, Heretic, Duke Nukem 3D... I used to love the first-person shooters. Also Lion and Wolf by Sanctuary Woods. But I can definitely think of more, given time.

ooo yeah I got Duke 3D recently. with the high res pack to, totally awesome.

**Krang** · 10-08-2007, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rooish

I downloaded a DOS emulator, and I downloaded old games into folders on my computer and unzipped them. But I'm a little sketchy on the details of whether I'm even unzipping all of these files properly, which one is the actual game file, and how to play the game in DOS. I don't know how to "mount" a game in DOS, whatever that means ... I think I ended up mounting my entire C drive, and I'm not sure what sort of damage that did.

I assume you're using DOSBox? If so, make a new folder to store all your games in (for this example, I'll call it C:\DOSBox\Games). Now, unzip each game into a subfolder of this new folder (for example, SimCity 2000 could be located in C:\DOSBox\Games\SC2000). After this, you can mount your new games folder onto its own virtual drive by starting up DOSBox and running this command:

MOUNT C C:\DOSBox\Games

Now you can use DOS like normal, and the C drive will have your games in it. The main file for each game will usually be the game's name (or an abbreviation of it) with an extension of .exe or .com. BTW, don't worry about mounting your C drive, since all mounts are forgotten when DOSBox is closed. Hope this helps.

*Sewer Bull* · 10-08-2007, 04:21 AM

You can always try running your games in the compatibility mode. Right-click the .exe file of your game, choose "Properties", then that "Compatibility" tab. And now you can change that program's compatibility mode even for Windows 95.

Here is some bigger and more descriptive manual.

This method works for me in most cases (although not always) and I don't need any extra emulators. DOSBox is fine, although a little bit too complicated for me (all that mounting and stuff, you know) - and it doesn't always work well. Sometimes games refuse to run at all and sometimes they just freeze at some point.

*Rooish* · 10-10-2007, 08:39 AM

Wow, thank you so much, Krang and Sewer Bull. That wasn't too hard after all, and now I get to play games I used to love! Thank you!

10-07-2007, 12:48 PM	#1
Rooish Devil's Advocate Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 2,130	Reliving the glory days ... need help Hello folks and folkettes! This isn't exactly a thread about video games; it's about computer games. But, unless I'm horrendously unobservant, there is no computer game category. When I was young, I used to play some tremendously amazing games on my old computers. (The one I miss most is SimCity 2000.) Now I have Windows XP, and I have tried to download old games from various sites, but most of them require DOS and I don't remember how to use DOS. I downloaded a DOS emulator, and I downloaded old games into folders on my computer and unzipped them. But I'm a little sketchy on the details of whether I'm even unzipping all of these files properly, which one is the actual game file, and how to play the game in DOS. I don't know how to "mount" a game in DOS, whatever that means ... I think I ended up mounting my entire C drive, and I'm not sure what sort of damage that did. So I probably sound completely computer illiterate now. I can pick up on stuff fast, though. So basically, I'm having trouble unzipping games and running them in DOS. Any suggestions?

10-07-2007, 01:30 PM	#2
Spitfire Writer • Director Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 12,035	PM me a list of games and I'll see if I can find XP versions. __________________ Check out my online portfolio http://www.christopherpelletier.com/

10-07-2007, 04:45 PM	#3
gobo Wacky Action Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: on Earth Posts: 12,784	I really can't help with your question, but I can tell you that games on PC are technically still video games. The alternatives to 'PC' videogames are 'console' and 'hand-held'. __________________ Live and let live... or go to hell.

10-08-2007, 04:21 AM	#7
Sewer Bull Devil's Advocate Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 4,768	You can always try running your games in the compatibility mode. Right-click the .exe file of your game, choose "Properties", then that "Compatibility" tab. And now you can change that program's compatibility mode even for Windows 95. Here is some bigger and more descriptive manual. This method works for me in most cases (although not always) and I don't need any extra emulators. DOSBox is fine, although a little bit too complicated for me (all that mounting and stuff, you know) - and it doesn't always work well. Sometimes games refuse to run at all and sometimes they just freeze at some point. __________________ Soooo... THIS* is how you spend your free time now?!*

10-07-2007, 07:40 PM	#4
Rooish Devil's Advocate Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 2,130	All right, good to know, my man gobo. And Spitty -- I will PM you soon; I'm trying to remember them all. SimCity 2000 is the main one. Doom, Doom2, Heretic, Duke Nukem 3D... I used to love the first-person shooters. Also Lion and Wolf by Sanctuary Woods. But I can definitely think of more, given time.

10-10-2007, 08:39 AM	#8
Rooish Devil's Advocate Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 2,130	Wow, thank you so much, Krang and Sewer Bull. That wasn't too hard after all, and now I get to play games I used to love! Thank you!