Playing classic games on a new PC

Before the advent of the modern computer with its 3D graphics cards and lightning-fast processors, games were rather simplistic. Many would argue, however, that the titles preceding the early 1990s are superior to their modern counterparts.

They may have lacked photo-realistic graphics, surround sound and three-dimensional gameplay, but games designers of that age relied on imagination and ingenuity to get over the technical limitations of the hardware.

The good news is that you can still enjoy these games, with their great gameplay and enthralling storylines. A piece of software called an emulator tricks the vintage game into thinking it is running on an older computer. We're going to show you how to use one called DOSBox to relive the golden age of gaming without spending a penny.

Get a piece of the action
Getting hold of classic computer games is extremely easy. There is a wide selection that can legally be downloaded, mostly in the guise of shareware or freeware. Of the numerous websites dedicated to classic PC titles, Dos Games Archive is one of the best.

For the purpose of this feature, we'll be using the Dos Games Archive to download and play one of our favourite titles from the golden age of gaming, Caesar. This can be downloaded free of charge and can usually be played on any modern PC without fuss.

Once you've downloaded Caesar, double-click on the file to extract all the files to a folder on your C: drive called 'games' (without the quotes). You should be able to run it by double-clicking on the icon with the same name as the game - in the case of Caesar this is 'caesar.bat'. Some games may have a different name or require you to run an install program first. For more information consult the 'readme.txt' file that accompanies most games.

Although you'd expect your new PC to have no trouble running software that was designed more than 10 years ago, there are a number of potential problems. Computers were comparatively slow back then, so playing old games on a new machine is akin to towing a horse-drawn cart with a Formula One car - your whizzy new PC may simply be too quick or expect modern features.

To ensure your PC can run these games, you may need to download the Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit, an update to Windows that helps ensure older, or potentially troublesome, software runs on a new PC.

Even with the Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit installed, some games may still refuse to run properly. If this is the case, try using the DOSBox emulator, which fools the games into thinking they are running with MS-DOS, the operating system that preceded Windows. 

Simply choose the download link in the country closest to the UK. There are several sites listed so that you can download the file even if one of the sites has a problem.

Once you have installed and run DOSBox, you'll see a rather uninviting black window appear on your screen. You'll have to say a temporary goodbye to clicking and dragging, as all DOSBox commands have to be entered via text in what is known a command prompt - usually indicated by a flashing cursor.

To run the newly downloaded games, you'll need to give DOSBox a drive letter to use for the 'c:\games' directory you created. To do this, type 'mount q c:\games' - 'q' is the drive letter and 'c:\games' is the folder you created and stored your game in. This may sound complicated, but it simply allows DOSBox to think of your chosen games folder as a single drive letter.

Once you've done this, you'll need to tell DOSBox to use this drive. This can be done by typing 'q:' at the DOSBox command prompt. You are then free to run any game contained in the c:\games folder. This can be done by typing the name of the main executable file, such as caesar. Type 'dir' and press enter to see t he contents of a folder and type 'cd' followed by a folder name to move to a new folder, for example 'cd caesar'.

You can usually control your games by pressing the cursor keys, but you may need to do some experimenting to find out which buttons are in use. If you are not happy with the default button configuration, you can change these keys. Press Ctrl+F1 while in a DOSBox window to bring up an on-screen keyboard.

Simply press the key you'd like to change, click on 'Add', then hit the key you'd like to replace it with. For example, you can replace an awkward key combination, such as 'a' and 'd', to a more convenient set of buttons, such as the left and right cursor keys.

In some cases, games running in DOSBox may not play as you expect. They may run either too quickly or too slowly. However, you can increase or decrease the speed of the game by simultaneously pressing the Ctrl and F12 or Ctrl and F11 buttons respectively.