Retro games and abandonware spotlight
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Bubble Bobble: spitting dinosaurs
3rd June 2023actionBubble Bobble is perhaps one of the most popular (and cute!) platform arcade games of all times. The goal of Bubble Bobble is simple: clear each screen from various monsters and reach the final stage. In order to get rid of enemies, dinosaurs Bub and Bob can spit bubbles to trap them, then pop the bubbles to kill them. -
The Twilight Zone
27th May 2023adventureThe Twilight Zone is an abandoned sci-fi themed adventure game based on the popular TV series of the same name. The Twilight zone released in 1988 by First Row Software Publishing for DOS and Amiga. At it's core, The Twilight Zone is a text adventure, so you have to type in commands, but it's supported by the graphics. -
Electronic Games Arcade Awards: 1983
19th May 2023top games and awardsElectronic Games was the first magazine dedicated to the video game world, published in the United States. Electronic Games ran from October 15 1981 to 1997 under different titles (Computer Entertainment, Intelligent Gamer, etc). The magazine is notable for holding the first Game of the Year Award ceremony, called (obviously) the Arcade Awards. The Arcade Awards were an annual award that took place every year from 1979 to 1984, then, after a hiatus, in 1992 and 1993. ... -
Star Crusader: space combat
Star Crusader is an abandoned science fiction first-person 3D space combat simulation, developed by Take-Two Interactive and released by GameTek in 1994 both for DOS and for Amiga platforms. During the game you will have to choose on which side you want to fight: the Gorenes or the rebels. Depending on your choice, you will have different ships available, different missions and a different story. -
GOG Staff Picks
10th May 2023deals and free gamesThe staff of GOG (Good Old Games) picked some of their favourite games and put them on sale. To name a few of the old but good ones: Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition, Heroes of Might and Magic III, Planescape Torment. These games instead were published more recently: Legend of Grimrock, Frostpunk, This War of Mine, Pillars of Eternity, Anno 1404.
Featured themes
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Third-person action-adventure: Outcast
A third-person action-adventure is a genre of video game that combines elements of action and adventure gameplay while utilizing a third-person perspective. In this type of game, the player controls a character and navigates through a three-dimensional game world.
The third-person perspective means that the camera is positioned behind the character, providing a view of their actions and surroundings. This viewpoint allows players to see their character's movements, interactions, and the environment from a more cinematic angle.
The action component of the genre refers to the emphasis on fast-paced combat, platforming, and physical challenges. The adventure aspect involves exploration of the game world, solving puzzles, and unraveling a storyline or completing quests. Examples of popular third-person action-adventure games include the Tomb Raider series, Assassin's Creed series, and Alone in the Dark series.
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Engine: BASIC: QBasic Nibbles
Games written in BASIC have a rich history in the world of computer gaming. BASIC (Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a high-level programming language that gained popularity in the 1970s and 1980s as a beginner-friendly language for writing software on early personal computers. During this era, BASIC was the go-to language for hobbyist programmers who wanted to create their own games.
Games written in BASIC varied in complexity, from simple text-based adventures to graphical games with rudimentary graphics and sound capabilities. As computer hardware and programming languages advanced, BASIC gradually lost popularity as a primary language for game development. The simplicity and accessibility of BASIC played a crucial role in sparking their interest in programming and game development.
To abandonware or not?
Where does the love for old abandoned games comes from? Our childhood, perhaps. What's left of that age? What do we miss so much? The long afternoons spent walking in the worlds of Ultima or the hours passed impersonating Duke Nukem. Here we are now, slightly aged, eager to pay homage to all those wonderful DOS games.
After all, it's about the passion for old games and a little bit of nostalgia.
The games listed on Abandonware DOS are no longer supported by their respective developers (as far as I know... I often check sites like Steam and GOG). If you find out that a game is still on sale or "protected", please let me know and I'll remove it from Abandonware DOS as soon as possible.
How to run DOS games on Windows?What is Abandonware?
Abandonware is a word that describes a software (game or application) no longer supported by its developers or its publishers and is no longer available for sale in any form (digital or retail).
When we talk about abandonware we usually refer to old games for systems no longer available to the public such as DOS, Commodore 64, Amiga, Spectrum, etc.
Some "abandoned" games are still on sale, that's why you will find games tagged as "protected" on Abandonware DOS.
How to run old Windows games on Windows 10?Is abandonware safe?
There's a misconception about abandonware: since it's about old games, there's no security involved. It's not like that, al least not on Abandonware DOS. Every single Windows and DOS game on this site was personally tested. Every game was played on a computer with all kinds of tools: antivirus, antispam, etc.
That said, there's the possibility of a false positive: your software tells you there's a virus but there's no such thing. I can't speak for other abandonware sites, but I can assure you that I take all the necessary measures to keep the games on Abandonware DOS safe.