Anyone into DOS / Win98SE Gaming on PC?

[boxpressed]

After reading this I might start collecting these games and build an Win98 rig.

 

If you have the space, I would definitely do so. Every component not branded "Voodoo" or "Roland" is dirt cheap. I'm kidding a little, of course, but eBay recyclers can't seem to give away quality video and sound cards for $5-$10 apiece. Setups from the PII-PIII era are usually inexpensive, while working 486 setups are quite pricey. I wanted to build a super high-quality Windows 98SE machine to play all those games I mentioned above.

 

It's also nice to see affordable prices on CIB or NIB games. If you like going to thrift stores and garage sales, you will still find some nice items, unlike good console games, which are scooped up almost as soon as they are put out.

 

If you really want to catch the bug, watch some of the Lazy Game Reviews on Youtube.

[+Sauron]

Been playing around a lot with DOSBox lately, mainly to play the older Ultima games, as well as a few others. However, the last few weeks I've spent more time delving into DOS apps and other things, such as installing FreeDOS in VMWare Workstation, getting Windows 3.11 running in DOSBox, etc. Now, though, what I'm really jonesing for is an old IBM PC XT, preferably one with a green or amber phosphor monitor. Not sure of my chances of finding anything like that locally, but I'm sure they're pretty small.

 

In the meantime, I'm still having fun with DOSBOX:

 

[jmetal88]

Now, though, what I'm really jonesing for is an old IBM PC XT, preferably one with a green or amber phosphor monitor.

 

I'd love to get my hands on an XT clone again. The first computer my dad brought home for me from the office (because it was obsolete equipment they'd never use again) was a CompuAdd 810 with an amber phosphor monitor. My favorite things to do on that were to play Wheel of Fortune and attempt programming in GW-BASIC. I even had a rudimentary text adventure written by 1st or 2nd grade, although when I rediscovered the code later on it was a lot less impressive than I remembered (it was only like 6 screens long and there was no text parsing so you navigated by pressing numbers).

 

For now, though, my PCjr's doing a fairly good job at keeping me satisfied with that era of computing, albeit with a low-resolution color monitor. Incidentally, PCjrs can often be found cheaply or for free if you look on forums instead of looking on eBay. There seem to be plenty of people who just want to get rid of them, so long as they're going to someone who will use them.

[The Usotsuki]

I should get another XT, and not just the frankenputer (XT with a 386) in my front room.

[Ed in SoDak]

Hmm, never guessed on old PC/XT stuff ever having a following. <runs to dig into the shed>

[Rhomaios]

Been playing around a lot with DOSBox lately, mainly to play the older Ultima games, as well as a few others. However, the last few weeks I've spent more time delving into DOS apps and other things, such as installing FreeDOS in VMWare Workstation, getting Windows 3.11 running in DOSBox, etc. Now, though, what I'm really jonesing for is an old IBM PC XT, preferably one with a green or amber phosphor monitor. Not sure of my chances of finding anything like that locally, but I'm sure they're pretty small.

 

In the meantime, I'm still having fun with DOSBOX:

 

 

WinRisk! I miss that game. I played it so much until Hasbro's superior version on Win95 came out. Ultimate Risk FTW.

[Hatta]

IMO, skip the XT and get a Tandy. A Tandy can do everything an XT can and more. I have an XT clone I never use because I have a Tandy.

[Serious]

I'm definitely getting back into DOS games in a big way.. I love the games, but the hardware issues that I'm running into (like a soundcard driver failure) are reminding me of some of the less enjoyable aspects of DOS machines as a gaming platform..

 

 

I don't ever think that retro PCs will ever be as collectible as consoles, and that's a good thing right now. Compared to the console and console game prices, the price of motherboards, CPUs, video cards, sound cards, and games are quite reasonable. Sites like Abandonia.com even host awesome titles that are considered "abandonware." But there's also the collectible element too that makes things interesting--finding a Gravis Ultrasound or Roland card, for instance.

 

 

 

I don't know about it not being as collectible, etc.. Classic PC hardware can get kinda pricey, if you're looking for some of the less common configurations/components that many DOS games utilize.

 

For example, Tandy 1000 hardware, and some soundcards (like Gravis Ultrasound cards) aren't exactly cheap.

 

When I started looking for some components, I was really shocked at the asking price on some of this stuff.. 5.25 floppy drives, for example..

[cimerians]

Been playing around a lot with DOSBox lately, mainly to play the older Ultima games, as well as a few others. However, the last few weeks I've spent more time delving into DOS apps and other things, such as installing FreeDOS in VMWare Workstation, getting Windows 3.11 running in DOSBox, etc

 

I've been using DOSbox forever and always wanted to try installing Win3.1 in it at some point when it became do-able.

 

Did you follow this procedure?

http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=9405

[boxpressed]

I don't know about it not being as collectible, etc.. Classic PC hardware can get kinda pricey, if you're looking for some of the less common configurations/components that many DOS games utilize.

 

For example, Tandy 1000 hardware, and some soundcards (like Gravis Ultrasound cards) aren't exactly cheap.

 

When I started looking for some components, I was really shocked at the asking price on some of this stuff.. 5.25 floppy drives, for example..

 

Many retro PCs and components are collectible, to be sure, but the scene is nothing like that for console games, IMO. I haven't seen a single VGA-graded DOS game in about a month of regular eBay searching, for example. There are resellers that list components at stupid prices, of course, but no one buys them. I just bought ten video and sound cards for about $40 shipped, including a Pro AudioSpectrum. A working Soundblaster Pro 2.0 for $25. I would say that a working OEM 486 in nice condition without any extras could run you up to $100 before shipping. Working OEM Pentiums, Celerons, PIIs, and PIIIs might be half that, and XTs and ATs maybe double that. But if you just want to play the majority of DOS (mid-90s) and Windows 98 titles, a cheap Celeron OEM box would set you back only $50 or so shipped, if you are patient.

 

Also, the IRQ nightmare of the past is alleviated a bit by disabling hardware that we no longer need for a gaming box: COM2, LPT1, etc. I had to disable LPT1 to get my SB Pro to live side-by-side with my GUS, but now I have a fantastic audio setup.

 

UPDATE: Just picked up a loose Voodoo3 3000 for $15 shipped. Can't complain!

[cobracon]

This is whats in my 98 gaming rig:

 

Pentium 200 mmx

128 Mb Ram

6.4 Gb HD

ATI 3D Rage II + DVD

Voodoo 2 (Creative Labs)

Sound Blaster 2

All ThermalTake Fans

200 Watt Power Supply

 

Sony DTL-H2000 Playstation Dev Board set

Realtime Riverrun Snes/GameGear Dev Board

 

Not bad for games like Quake, Carmageddon, Unreal and many others. I have a lot of fun with this rig.

[accousticguitar]

I have a Pentium 1 on eBay for $100 shipped and it's just sitting there. I guess it must not be worth that much but at $50 shipped I'd be making like $15 before fees. Not worth the trouble of selling imo.

[+Sauron]

 

I've been using DOSbox forever and always wanted to try installing Win3.1 in it at some point when it became do-able.

 

Did you follow this procedure?

http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=9405

 

No, I took the easy way out and used an archived file of Windows 3.1 that was already setup for use in DOSBox. I'm not going to post a link for it, but you should be able to find it quite easily using Google. I didn't have to do much config at all, which was nice.