Children of the ’80s and early ’90s, rejoice! The Internet Archive has made a collection of nearly 2,400 MS-DOS games available to play for free in a browser-based emulator. The library encompasses nearly any computer game from that era that you can think of, and plenty of others that you didn’t even realize you remember. It’s a major nostalgia trip for gamers of a certain age, and also a monumental effort of interactive digital preservation.
The collection includes the origins of some franchises that are still major players in today’s industry, such as Metal Gear or Street Fighter. It also has beloved classics like The Oregon Trail, Prince of Persia and . Fans of the Kickstarted Wasteland 2 might want to check out the original 1988 Wasteland.
Disney may be back on top with Disney Infinity, but back in the day the company licensed film characters out for platformers based on Aladdin and The Lion King that were actually pretty great. Also be sure to dig into the deeper cuts that might not have endured as franchises but still hold a special place for many, like Dragon’s Lair, Sim Ant, Commander Keen and Mario Teaches Typing. We really could do this forever, and encourage you to do so.
Digital archivist Jason Scott is behind the project, and announced the release with a blog post. The library is an unprecedented production, and still in beta, so Scott encourages you to take it for a spin and provide feedback for how things could be improved. The Internet Archive is probably best known for the Wayback Machine, a database of dated snapshots of websites where you can see, for instance, what the first implementation of Google looked like in 1998, or check out Digital Trends when it started in 2006.
Whether you’re nostalgic, a scholar, or simply curious, this is an extraordinary resource for gamers that is well worth your time, and it establishes a fantastic precedent for how works of digital, interactive art can be preserved and emulated for the easy access of future generations. What games on the list got you excited?
Related Posts
Your Xbox ecosystem just levelled up across every device
Gaming Copilot is now live in the Xbox mobile app (beta), offering real-time AI help for gameplay, achievements, tips, and more.
I’ve played every major Zelda game, here’s what The Legend of Zelda movie needs to get right
In terms of iconic pop culture heroes, Link is up there with Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, and Superman. While Benjamin Evan Ainsworth has proven himself capable enough to lead The Legend of Zelda's cast, adapting Link’s character for the big screen is a challenge. For much of the Zelda franchise, Link is depicted as a silent protagonist who serves as a stand-in for the player. However, that doesn't mean Link isn't a unique character. Each version of Link has a distinct story, but they are all known for their incredible courage, loyalty, and dedication to protecting the innocent. However, he has also shown many times that he can be silly, reckless, rageful, guilty, and tempted by greed. Link doesn’t necessarily have to speak in the film to appeal to audiences. However, he just can't be a one-dimensional fantasy hero. We have to see how multifaceted a person Link is as he grows and reacts to everything, carrying such a heavy burden as the Hero of Hyrule. Zelda should share the adventure with Link
PlayStation 5 can technically be a CD-player, if you’ve got a tinkerer’s heart
But a creator behind the YouTube channel Will It Work? decided to test that limit with a clever workaround. Using an unusual optical drive, he managed to trick the PS5 into reading CDs as if they were USB storage devices.