EVERY MODERN GAMER knows that it’s hard to replicate the excitement we all felt as kids when we started playing videogames. True, many of these had rudimentary graphics and may have even had no network play, but who can forget the peculiar feeling of satisfaction that came with facing down the alien menace in Half-Life, armed only with a crowbar? What modern game can even come close to the joy of ‘insult sword fighting’ in The Secret of Monkey Island?
As modern hardware evolves and 64-bit systems become more commonplace, it’s actually getting harder to run titles like these out of the box. Modern hardware often lacks optical disk drives, and original game cartridges for older consoles like the NES and SNES are selling for ridiculous amounts.
In this guide, we’ll explore some of the ways in which having a modern PC is no bar to playing your favorite retro games. We’ll explore simple ways to feel nostalgic by playing titles online via the Internet Archive or dedicated platforms like GOG and Steam. We’ll also explore emulators like DOSBox and RetroArch to allow direct play on your device.
ONE FROM THE VAULTS
One of the simplest ways to relive the glory days of retro gaming is to open your browser and head over to). Simply clicking on the ‘Software’ category will automatically show links to the Archive’s own ‘Internet Arcade’, as well as ‘Classic PC Games’ and MS-DOS games.
