5 Reasons Now Is the Best Time to Play Retro DOS Games
If you missed out on the DOS era of gaming, there has never been a better time to dip your toes into the best of what the platform can offer. Retro gaming is in vogue once more, so why not get in on the fun with a gaming platform that doesn't get enough love?
Most Gamers Missed Out on the DOS Era
Even while DOS represented the cutting edge of PC gaming, most people playing video games were getting their fix somewhere else. That's because personal computers were incredibly expensive compared to a NES or Genesis console. No one was buying a DOS PC specifically to play games on it, or at least they wouldn't admit to that! No, PCs were for doing homework and taxes, and the fact that you could load up some games too was just a nice little bonus.
The end result is that, even if you played video games back then, you probably missed out on the DOS catalog. Sure, heavy hitters like Wolfenstein 3D and DOOM got (lackluster) ports for consoles eventually, but most DOS games never made the leap.
DOS Games Are Easy to Run on Anything
While, technically, DOS software should run on modern Windows computers, the reality isn't quite that simple. Yet, getting DOS games to run on whatever operating system you have has never been easier. This is thanks to robust DOS emulation software, most notably DOSBox but also PCem. I use DOSBox to play personal favorites like Master of Orion II, Jazz Jackrabbit, Epic Pinball, and Dungeon Keeper on my M1 Apple MacBook Air. It's the perfect place to play DOS games since it's a small, compact computer with a great screen and endless battery life. If you have a handheld gaming PC like the ROG Ally, it's the perfect place to play, especially when you want to save on battery life!
Some games have also received fan-made ports that re-use the assets from the original game (which you must legally own) and update the game's executables. For example, Devilution X for the original Diablo, Dungeon Keeper FX, Fallout 2-ce, and numerous "source
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