Oldies remade: the best remakes of old DOS games
Games developed for DOS or early microcomputers (such as the Spectrum, Commodore 64, BBC Micro, etc.) date back to the 1980s. Simply put, these games are old. Graphics, sound, user experience, and interface were vastly different compared to recent games.
Game development has made significant strides over the years, and today’s games are in a completely different league. Despite this, some of these archaic games are fondly remembered by enthusiasts dedicated enough to invest significant effort into remaking them.
Some of these old games have been recreated from scratch to varying degrees of faithfulness, whether by major gaming companies, indie developers, or individual fans in their spare time. Some of these remakes are available to download as free games or even as open-source software on various sharing sites. Others can only be played online, and some are available for purchase.
What's the difference between a remake and a port?
A remake is a complete recreation of an older game, developed from the ground up using modern technology.
A port, by contrast, is a direct conversion of a game for a different platform. It isn't rebuilt from scratch and usually retains much of the original code, often requiring minimal changes to work on the new system.
A remaster is an updated version of an existing game, typically enhancing the original with improved graphics, sound, and sometimes refined controls, but without significant changes to the core gameplay or design.
Remade games
Some of the games on Abandonware DOS are remakes – specifically, older ones. I’ve created a dedicated page to track both these classic remakes and their modern counterparts.
An interesting case is Contra: Locked and Loaded, which represents a more radical evolution of the original Contra formula. While the classic Contra games were strict 2D run-and-gun experiences, this remake shifted to 3D graphics and a new camera perspective. The core idea – fast reflexes, overwhelming enemy fire, and near-instant deaths – remains intact, even if the presentation and controls clearly reflect their era. It’s a good example of how some remakes modernize aggressively, sometimes at the expense of instant recognizability.
A lesser-known but charming example is Aldo’s Adventure, a remake inspired by early Super Mario Bros–style platformers. Though not an official Mario title, it borrows the familiar side-scrolling structure, block-based environments, and enemy patterns, while adding its own personality through original graphics and level design. It shows how “unofficial successors” can balance homage and reinvention while keeping classic mechanics alive.
Finally, there’s CHAMP Ms. Pac-Man, a reinterpretation of the arcade classic that goes beyond simple imitation. Instead of copying the original, it expands the maze-chase formula with new maze designs and gameplay tweaks, placing a stronger focus on competition and high scores. Instantly recognizable yet meaningfully different, it proves that even the most iconic arcade games can be refreshed without losing their identity.
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