Now, we know there is a literally endless supply of fully-featured, graphically stunning modern day video games to keep you entertained, but sometimes nothing beats that little burst of nostalgia.
Playing titles from days of old has always been possible thanks to the internet and emulation, but some very clever programmers at the Internet Archive have just made it ridiculously easy to boot up thousands of classics in your browser for absolutely no cost or hassle.
Their MS-DOS catalog is growing all the time, but you don’t need to scroll a long way down the homepage to spot some retro gems.
Each game in the archive has a handy description page and user reviews that will quickly let you know the port shapes up. You can search for the game you want or browse by an extensive list of categories. The games load up in no time and we’ve yet to experience a crash. If you can put up with some slightly weird control configurations, this thing has serious procrastination potential.
As for the standout games available right now, this is what we’ve been getting stuck into, for work purposes, obviously.
Disney’s Aladdin
You won’t see Disney making too many 2D platformers these days, but back in the 8 and 16-bit eras – arguably the golden generation of the genre – the House of Mouse were making some of the most vibrant and fun games around.
Licensed games are often rubbish, but Disney bucked the trend with Aladdin. While the game doesn’t match Mario for level design and inventiveness, it was rock solid in every department, looking gorgeous and featuring all the music you loved from the film in gameified form.
Prince of Persia
Prince of Persia made a mostly elegant transition into the 3D realm, but to see the series at its purest, you’ll want to play the original.
It was hard-as-nails and punished every mistake. Still plays great today. Just expect to die. And then die again.
Street Fighter II
“But a new Street Fighter came out just this year,” we hear you cry. “Why would we play this knackered old thing?”
Because you can play it instead of returning to that tedious email chain you’ve been putting off at work, that’s why. It’s a seminal game in a legendary series that still holds up today.
Pac-Man
In 2088, when people exist entirely in virtual reality and open doors with their brains, you can guarantee that someone will still be playing Pac-Man.
It’s the ageless video game. Hundreds of versions exist of the game and the Internet Archive is as good as any.
Fire it up, eat some dots and keep well away from those dickhead ghosts. There is still no finer time-waster.
Browse the rest of the MS-DOS collection here. Happy gaming.Â
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