|
Old games, and how to play them.
Last updated April 27, 2003
The following list is a summary of some of the best programs available on the web for playing old PC games on modern hardware. Most of these programs are Win32 implementations of old games' engines, however, programs such as Bochs fully emulate a PC. Below is also a list of "ones to watch", these are projects that look promising, but are not yet complete enough to be able to play any games reliably.
- Bochs is a PC Emulator
- Exult plays Ultima VII parts 1 & 2, and the expansions
- FreeSCI plays (some of) Sierra's SCI adventures
- NAGI plays Sierra's AGI adventures
- ScummVM plays (some of) LucasArts SCUMM adventures
- WinFrotz plays Infocom's Z-Machine text adventures
Ones to watch:
At the bottom of the page is a list of handy links that covers pretty much anything anyone would need to know about the old games talked about on this page.
I've noticed lately, that without any effort on my part, people have been coming to this site through google searches. I have therefore decided to spend some time updating this site. Expect to see a few more run-downs on useful applications, and some useful tutorials. Soon. In the meantime, email any comments or suggestions to mmREMOVE_THIS_BIT@martinmanning.com.
|
|
|
Bochs is a program designed to fully emulate a PC. Using Bochs, you can have a virtual PC running DOS - Just what you need to get all those old games running.
Unlike other HLE (High Level Emulation) emulators such as vmware, Bochs emulates every single x86 instruction. The advantage is better compatibility, but the downside is that the system requirements are quite steep.
Features:
- Full emulation of all PC hardware, including VGA video and SoundBlaster Audio
- Operating Systems run from and install to a "virtual disk" image, to avoid messy installs.
|
Version
2.0.2 |
Games Supported:
- Theoretically, all of them
| |
|
|
|
|
Exult is a modern implementation of the engine used by Origin in Ultima VII parts 1 & 2. Not a bad job considering that Origin lost the original source code for these games.
Features:
- Higher resolution, antialiased graphics
- Optional high-definition audio packs
|
Version
1.0 |
Games Supported:
- Ultima VII: The Black Gate
- Ultima VII: The Forge of Virtue
- Ultima VII Part 2: Serpent Isle
- Ultima VII Part 2: The Silver Seed
| |
|
|
|
|
FreeSCI is designed to play all games written using Sierra's SCI language, the successor to the older AGI languge.
Currently, only the earliest SCI games are supported, however the developers hope to extend support for VGA games using the point and click interface, and ultimately plan to incorporate SCI32 support as well (as seen in King's Quest 7 and Space Quest 6.)
Features:
- Higher resolution, antialiased graphics
- Enhanced sound/midi support
|
Version
0.3.4a |
Games Supported:
- Leisure Suit Larry 2
- Leisure Suit Larry 3
- Police Quest 2
- King's Quest 4
- Quest for Glory 1/Hero's Quest
- Space Quest 3
- Hoyle's Book of Games
- The Colonel's Bequest
- Conquest of Camelot
- Codename: Iceman
| |
|
|
|
|
NAGI is a clone of Sierra's AGI interpreter, written for windows. It was written using decompiled code of the original AGI, and then modified to run in a modern environment. This plays all of Sierra's first generation adventrue games.
Features:
- Tandy music emulation
- EGA and CGA emulation
- Added mouse support
|
Version
2.06 |
Games Supported:
- Gold Rush
- King's Quest I
- King's Quest II
- King's Quest III
- King's Quest IV AGI
- Leisure Suit Larry 1
- Manhunter: New York
- Mixed-up Mother Goose
- Police Quest 1
- Space Quest I
- Space Quest II
| |
|
|
|
|
ScummVM is an interpreter for games built using LucasArts' proprietary SCUMM scripting language.
Currently only some games are supported. The developers still plan to add support for the newer SCUMM games, and then also implement the very early SCUMM games.
ScummVM also supports games made using the Simon the Sorceror engine.
Features:
- Higher resolution, antialiased graphics.
- Enhanced sound/midi support.
|
Version
0.3.0 |
Games Supported:
- Loom CD
- The Dig
- Monkey Island 1
- Monkey Island 2
- Day of the Tentacle
- Sam and Max Hit the Road
- Simon the Sorceror
- Simon the Sorceror 2
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
- Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (FM Towns version)
| |
|
|
WinFrotz
Infocom's
Z-Machine |
WinFrotz emulates Infocom's Z-Machine, which played all of the old Infocom text adventures.
Features:
- Record, edit, and print a transcript of each game
- Customizable font face and size, and line length
|
Version
5.3 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Sarien is a program able to play games written using Sierra's proprietary AGI language, as was used in most of their pre-1988 games.
The project is currently still under heavy development, and you will need to download and compile the source code to play.
The developers plan to add signifcant additional functionality over the existing NAGI program.
Features:
- Higher resolution, antialiased graphics
- Enhanced sound support
|
|
Games Supported:
- Gold Rush
- King's Quest I
- King's Quest II
- King's Quest III
- King's Quest IV AGI
- Leisure Suit Larry 1
- Manhunter: New York
- Mixed-up Mother Goose
- Police Quest 1
- Space Quest I
- Space Quest II
Games (to be) Supported:
- All games using the AGI language
| |
|
|
Underworld Adventures
Origin's / Looking Glass'
Ultima Underworld |
Underworld Adventures will be a modern implementation of the Ultima Underworld engine. Although still in the very early stages of development, the developers hope to offer a new interface, enhanced high-resolution graphics, and more. |
Version
0.8 |
Games (to be) Supported:
- Ultima Underworld I
- Ultima Underworld II
| |
Visit the project homepage at http://uwadv.sourceforge.net/
Other Links:
Infocom Links:
- The Unofficial Infocom Homepage is a site filled with in-depth information regarding all of the old infocom games. There are also links to download Zork 1,2, and 3, which are now in the public domain.
- The Infocom Documentation Project is an excellent source for downloading all of the documentation that originally came packaged with Infocom games. Since many of the old games referred to the documentation, the contents of this site are a must-have for anyone wanting to play the games today.
Sierra AGI/SCI Links:
- The Ultimate AGI & SCI Web Site provides links to many fan-made SCI and AGI games, as well offering a download of SCI Studio, a tool that can be used to create SCI games.
- Vintage Sierra is a museum of sorts, with information on all vintage Sierra games, including all of the SCI and AGI based games that were made.
LucasArts Links:
- The International House of Mojo is the most popular LucasArts fansite on the internet, and also hosts many other fanpages. This is an excellent source for news and info on all LucasArts games, new and old alike.
- SCUMM Revisited is a program that can read the contents of the resource files that comprise all SCUMM games. The user is able to extract everything from animations, to background art, to music, to sound effects.
Miscellaneous Links / Where to get the Games:
- Ebay is the best place to shop for classic games, but be warned, old games are valued quite highly these days. Be prepared to spend quite a bit.
- Ye Olde Infocomme Shoppe is the second best place to shop for classic games. The store specializes in infocom titles, but also carries games from many other developers. The prices can be better than ebay.
- Google is the best place to look for games if you don't want to pay for them.
- MobyGames is a huge website dedicated to documenting every aspect of every game ever. Worth checking out if you're a fan of computer games in any way shape or form.
|