EDIT: This thread used to be about Win8, but now it's just a catch-all for trying to run old games on newer hardware. If you have problems, fixes, etc regarding this - please post here.
Original Post:
It's not really a secret anymore that I've recently gotten very into playing games on PC. With the purchase of my new desktop (and then almost immediate upgrade of RAM and GPU) I've really gotten hooked. I love Steam, GOG and the like... But you can't take the Collector out of the noise. What I realized however is that PC games are among the easiest to come across in the wild. All those cheapo discs I see at yard sales and would normally pass over? All those $2 games I see at thrift stores? Well, now I'm all about scooping them up. HOWEVER, I'm rocking Windows 8 for better or worse. While I've already discovered that Classic Shell can alleviate much of the headache of trying to navigate this stupid OS, I'm now learning that old school games aren't always a quick fix. As such, I thought I'd start this thread where I (or rather we) can chronicle our attempts to get old school PC games working on this new OS.
The idea is simple: if you pick up an old school game, report the outcome here. Does it run without a hitch on Win8? Did you need to change the compatibility mode? was there a more exotic fix, but now you've got it working? Let us know, and maybe save others the future frustration.
new PC's vs. old school games
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noiseredux
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noiseredux
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Re: noiseredux presents Windows 8 vs. old school games
Konami Collector's Series: Castlevania & Contra
So this came in the mail for me today. I had it on good authority (good looking out, Stark) that it ran fine on Win7, so I felt confident.
I did have to set the compatibility mode to XP in order to launch the setup file. That's it. Plays great. Recognized my 360 pad out of the box, and there's an Options screen to configure the buttons how you like. As an added bonus, save states are built into the game!
So this came in the mail for me today. I had it on good authority (good looking out, Stark) that it ran fine on Win7, so I felt confident.
I did have to set the compatibility mode to XP in order to launch the setup file. That's it. Plays great. Recognized my 360 pad out of the box, and there's an Options screen to configure the buttons how you like. As an added bonus, save states are built into the game!
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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: noiseredux presents Windows 8 vs. old school games
You've been acquainted with DOSBox, right?
Win 95/98/2000 games will be the hardest for you to run I assume.
I have a few that I need to test on my main gaming computer - like Rayman, Sonic CD, and Darkstone.
I have Win 7 tho, so I guess I won't be much help here.
Win 95/98/2000 games will be the hardest for you to run I assume.
I have a few that I need to test on my main gaming computer - like Rayman, Sonic CD, and Darkstone.
I have Win 7 tho, so I guess I won't be much help here.
Re: noiseredux presents Windows 8 vs. old school games
https://www.virtualbox.org/
In case a Win9x game absolutely refuses to run, try a Win98SE virtual machine inside Virtualbox. There are also a few games with souped-up engines written by fans to run on modern PCs.
In case a Win9x game absolutely refuses to run, try a Win98SE virtual machine inside Virtualbox. There are also a few games with souped-up engines written by fans to run on modern PCs.
Thy ban hammer shalt strike 
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noiseredux
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Re: noiseredux presents Windows 8 vs. old school games
BoneSnapDeez wrote:You've been acquainted with DOSBox, right?
oh hell yeah. DOSBox rules. The only game I've had no luck with is my big box Dragon's Slayer. It goes to launch, but then I get an error message. More on that later...
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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: noiseredux presents Windows 8 vs. old school games
noiseredux wrote:BoneSnapDeez wrote:You've been acquainted with DOSBox, right?
oh hell yeah. DOSBox rules. The only game I've had no luck with is my big box Dragon's Slayer.
What is this game.....? Tried to find it online with no luck. (Dragon's Lair???)
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noiseredux
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Original_Name
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Re: noiseredux presents Windows 8 vs. old school games
BoneSnapDeez wrote:noiseredux wrote:BoneSnapDeez wrote:You've been acquainted with DOSBox, right?
oh hell yeah. DOSBox rules. The only game I've had no luck with is my big box Dragon's Slayer.
What is this game.....? Tried to find it online with no luck. (Dragon's Lair???)
I'm kind of shocked that you didn't run into this game instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLJw3q-XunY
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BoneSnapDeez
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Re: noiseredux presents Windows 8 vs. old school games
That was my first too though but I knew that wasn't what he meant. 
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noiseredux
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Re: noiseredux presents Windows 8 vs. old school games
Backyard Basketball (2001)
Installs no problem. Plays in fullscreen. Supports controllers - though the 360 pad button layout isn't optimal, so will have to see if there's a way to configure them in-game. Disc not required once installed.
Bejeweled 2: Deluxe (2004)
Installed no problem. Disc not required once the game is installed!
Call of Duty: Game of the Year Edition (2003)
Install no problem. Need CD key. Runs in full screen and looks great.
Dragon's Lair (1993)
Cannot install it. I tried using DOSBox, but just get an error message that says "illegal command." Has anyone had any success with this one?
Myst (1996)
Cannot get it to install. I'm pretty sure that this is because the installer is 32-bit and I'm on a 64-bit system. There might be a workaround out there?
Quake II (1997)
Installs no problem. The only obvious tweak that needed to be done was adjusting resolution in the game menu. But can be run in a good sized window.
Installs no problem. Plays in fullscreen. Supports controllers - though the 360 pad button layout isn't optimal, so will have to see if there's a way to configure them in-game. Disc not required once installed.
Bejeweled 2: Deluxe (2004)
Installed no problem. Disc not required once the game is installed!
Call of Duty: Game of the Year Edition (2003)
Install no problem. Need CD key. Runs in full screen and looks great.
Dragon's Lair (1993)
Cannot install it. I tried using DOSBox, but just get an error message that says "illegal command." Has anyone had any success with this one?
Myst (1996)
Cannot get it to install. I'm pretty sure that this is because the installer is 32-bit and I'm on a 64-bit system. There might be a workaround out there?
Quake II (1997)
Installs no problem. The only obvious tweak that needed to be done was adjusting resolution in the game menu. But can be run in a good sized window.