Abandonware DOS retro games news feedPHP Simple XMLgamesSun, 08 Nov 2026 17:47:35 +0100Sun, 08 Nov 2026 17:47:35 +0100https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.htmlhttps://www.abandonwaredos.comen_UK<![CDATA[Icewind Dale arrived in 2000 as a frosty sibling to the Baldur's Gate formula, trading political intrigue for glorious dungeon crawling in the forgotten corners of the Forgotten Realms. Here, the emphasis is on tactical combat, party creation, and surviving blizzards with your eyebrows intact. The Infinity Engine shines as beautifully painted landscapes frame battles against orcs, undead, and creatures who clearly skipped anger management. Its story may be leaner than some RPG epics, but the atmosphere is unmatched: cold, majestic, and slightly murderous. This is the sort of game where you spend twenty minutes organizing spells before a fight and still get ambushed by goblins. #abandonware]]>Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Icewind+Dale&gid=2675emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Icewind+Dale&gid=2675<![CDATA[The migration to our new host is complete! However, during the process, some seemingly random games ended up with download links that cause a zero-byte ZIP file to be saved instead. This is not malware, but simply a file naming error. We are working to fix the issue. Thank you for your patience! #abandonware]]>Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0100https://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=797&title=AbandonwareDOS+host+migration+completeemanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=797&title=AbandonwareDOS+host+migration+complete<![CDATA[The Game Critics Awards are an annual award event held just after the very popular E3 video game conference. The awards have taken place since 1998, bringing together journalists and critics from some of the most important gaming publications to recognize the games that generated the most excitement at E3.The late 1990s were a period of rapid change, with 3D graphics becoming increasingly sophisticated, CD-ROMs allowing developers to create larger and more ambitious games, and the PC becoming an important platform for genres such as first-person shooters, real-time strategy and role-playing games.As you can see, 1998 saw the birth of great classics for every kind of gamer: Half-Life for shooter lovers, Homeworld for RTS gamers, Grim Fandango for adventure addicts and Alpha Centauri for the ones who can't wait for the next Sid Meier game. It was also the year of StarCraft, Baldur's Gate, Thief: The Dark Project, Unreal and many other titles that would go on to influence PC gaming for years. Looking back, it is difficult not to see 1998 as one of the golden years of the medium, when several genres reached a level of maturity that would shape the games that followed.Outside the world of video games, 1998 was an equally eventful year. The Good Friday Agreement was signed in Northern Ireland, marking a major step toward ending decades of conflict. In Europe, the euro was officially introduced as an accounting currency, laying the groundwork for the physical banknotes and coins that would arrive a few years later. The world was also watching the rapid growth of the Internet, while Google was founded in September, initially as a small search-engine project.1998Alpha Centauri Best Turn-Based Strategy GameBaldur's Gate Best RPG GameEverQuest Best Online Only GameFighter Legends Best Combat Simulation GameGrim Fandango Best Adventure GameHalf Life Best Action GameHalf-Life Best Game, PCHomeworld Best Real-Time Strategy GameHomeworld Most Promising New GameJohn Madden Football 99 Best Sports GameMetal Gear Solid Best Game, ConsoleNeed For Speed 3 Best Racing GameRailroad Tycoon 2 Best Non-Combat Simulation GameSentinel Returns Best Puzzle/Trivia GameTekken 3 Best Fighting GameRead more about The Game Critics Awards here. #abandonware]]>Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=441&title=Game+Critics+Awards+in+1998%3A+Homeworld%2C+Half-Life%2C+Grim+Fandangoemanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=441&title=Game+Critics+Awards+in+1998%3A+Homeworld%2C+Half-Life%2C+Grim+Fandango<![CDATA[In The Hunt is a side-scrolling shooter that looks like Metal Slug took a deep breath and dove underwater. Released in arcades first and later ported to PC, it’s all about piloting a heavily armed submarine through claustrophobic environments packed with enemies, explosions, and absurdly detailed pixel art. The pacing is deliberate but relentless, giving every torpedo impact a satisfying weight. Boss fights are huge, noisy affairs that seem determined to fill the entire screen with mechanical nonsense. While it can be brutally difficult, it rarely feels cheap, instead daring you to master positioning and timing. There’s a playful sense of excess in the visuals that keeps things lively even when you’re being annihilated for the tenth time. It’s a shooter with personality, and that personality is loud, explosive, and slightly unhinged. #abandonware]]>Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=In+The+Hunt&gid=3610emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=In+The+Hunt&gid=3610<![CDATA[In Crazy Taxi, subtlety is for losers. Your mission: drive a cab like a maniac, pick up passengers, and deliver them to their destination faster than they can scream. Set to a punk-rock soundtrack that refuses to let you relax, every second counts. You’ll jump ramps, weave through traffic, and take “shortcuts” that would make any city planner cry. The chaos is the point—this is about speed, style, and total disregard for the rules of the road. By the end, you won’t just be a driver; you’ll be a legend of reckless efficiency. #abandonware]]>Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Crazy+Taxi&gid=3269emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Crazy+Taxi&gid=3269<![CDATA[We are currently moving the server hosting the games to a new host. During this transition, downloads from AbandonwareDOS.com may be temporarily unavailable. We hope to have everything back up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience and understanding! #abandonware]]>Sun, 04 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=795&title=Abandonware+DOS+Server+Migrationemanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=795&title=Abandonware+DOS+Server+Migration<![CDATA[Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Joey the Passion, released by Konami in 2004, is a PC video game that brings the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game to life. This game is the third and final installment in the "Power of Chaos" series. Players engage in duels that adhere to the traditional rules of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG, allowing them to construct and customize their decks from a collection of over 450 cards. New cards are unlocked by defeating Joey Wheeler, with the AI becoming increasingly challenging as players progress. #abandonware]]>Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Yu-Gi-Oh%21+Power+of+Chaos+-+Joey+the+Passion&gid=3688emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Yu-Gi-Oh%21+Power+of+Chaos+-+Joey+the+Passion&gid=3688<![CDATA[1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die is a reference book that gathers influential and memorable video games from different eras, genres, and platforms, highlighting titles that have helped shape the history and evolution of gaming. It is part of the popular “1001 Before You Die” series, which also covers topics such as films, music, books, and travel.Edited by Tony Mott, the book was first published in 2010 and has since received updated editions to reflect changes and new milestones within the gaming industry. Arranged in chronological order, it showcases games ranging from early arcade pioneers and retro computer titles to modern console and PC releases. Each entry typically includes a short description explaining the game’s importance, impact, innovations, or cultural influence, making the book both a celebration of gaming history and a guide for players interested in exploring landmark titles from different generations.The list of the 1001 games you must play on Abandonware DOS (not the complete one).Also, you can read about the book on Wikipedia.Interested in video games awards, "best of" lists, etc.? Check out the Abandonware DOS Video Games Awards page. #abandonware]]>Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=702&title=1001+%28abandonware%29+Video+games+you+must+playemanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=702&title=1001+%28abandonware%29+Video+games+you+must+play<![CDATA[Better known as Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior in some regions, Death Sword (1988) is remembered less for its deep gameplay and more for its infamous decapitation move. Swing your sword just right and—plop—your opponent’s head rolls across the arena while a little goblin drags it away. Classy stuff. The rest of the combat? Let’s just say it hasn’t aged gracefully, with stiff animations and awkward controls. But the sheer shock value back in the day turned it into a legend. Play it now, and you’ll either laugh or wonder how kids got away with this in the ’80s. #abandonware]]>Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Death+Sword&gid=2505emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Death+Sword&gid=2505<![CDATA[Bigger, bolder, and with more statues of yourself than ever, Caesar 2 builds on its predecessor like Rome after a good tax season. Now you get to manage both cities and provinces, making sure barbarians don’t redecorate your walls with fire. It’s city planning with a dash of diplomacy and a sprinkle of military strategy—sort of like SimCity if the mayor also commanded legions. Highly addictive, mildly educational, and proof that Romans were just ancient bureaucrats with fancier uniforms. #abandonware]]>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Caesar+2&gid=1503emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Caesar+2&gid=1503<![CDATA[Loom is a graphic adventure game developed and published by Lucasfilm Games (now LucasArts). It was designed by Brian Moriarty and is known for its unique gameplay mechanics and emphasis on storytelling. Loom is distinctive for its interface, which revolves around musical notes and spells. The protagonist, Bobbin Threadbare, is a young weaver who can use a magical distaff to play musical drafts to interact with the world. The puzzles often revolve around using musical notes and spells in creative ways. #abandonware]]>Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Loom&gid=1051emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Loom&gid=1051<![CDATA[1990 feels like one of those quiet turning points in videogame history: not flashy at first glance, but absolutely packed with ideas. While arcades were still alive and kicking and consoles kept doing their thing, something more cerebral was taking shape on home computers. That year helped solidify not one, but two genres that would go on to shape how players think about control, systems, and - occasionally - playing deity after dinner.On one side, you had the rise of city-building simulations, led by SimCity. Technically released a bit earlier but truly coming into its own around 1990. Instead of blasting aliens or rescuing princesses, you were zoning residential areas and wondering why your citizens hated you. It was a radical shift: no real win condition, no final boss, just a sandbox full of problems and the faint hope that your power grid wouldn’t collapse. Even today, the genre remains oddly niche in terms of big names, but its influence is unmistakable to anyone who has ever micromanaged a virtual anything.Then there’s the stranger sibling: the so-called god game, a label popularized by Populous. Defining the genre is tricky, because it’s less about strict mechanics and more about perspective. You’re not a character: you’re a force. You don’t directly control people; you nudge them, guide them, occasionally ruin their day with a well-placed volcano. Populous wasn’t the first game to experiment with this idea, but it gave the concept a name and a personality, turning divine intervention into actual gameplay. From there, the genre would evolve in weird and fascinating directions, sometimes brilliant, sometimes completely unhinged.Outside the pixelated world, 1990 wasn’t exactly quiet either. The launch of the Hubble Space Telescope expanded humanity’s view of the universe (once they fixed the blurry lens issue, of course), while the reunification of Germany marked the end of a long geopolitical divide. At the same time, tensions and conflicts were brewing or escalating in places like Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Namibia, reminding everyone that history rarely moves in a straight line.From the official site: "The SIIA CODiE Awards were established in 1986 so that pioneers of the then-nascent software industry could evaluate and honor each other's work."1990HardBall II Best Sports ProgramPopulous Best Strategy ProgramSimCity Best Consumer ProgramSimCity Best Curricular ProgramSimCity Best Entertainment ProgramSimCity Best Simulation ProgramSpace Quest III: The Pirates of Pestulon Best Fantasy Role Playing/Adventure ProgramWELLTRIS Best Action/Arcade ProgramWhere In Time Is Carmen Sandiego? Best Home Learning Program1990 was a strange contrast in hindsight: while the real world was busy reshaping borders and launching telescopes into orbit, videogames were quietly handing players the tools to reshape entire worlds of their own - one power line, or one divine miracle, at a time. #abandonware]]>Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=433&title=CODiE+Awards+1990%3A+SimCity%2C+Carmen+Sandiego%2C+Space+Quest+3emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=433&title=CODiE+Awards+1990%3A+SimCity%2C+Carmen+Sandiego%2C+Space+Quest+3<![CDATA[Environmental doom simulator? Check. Grim statistics? Double check. Balance of the Planet lets you tinker with carbon emissions, wildlife extinction, and deforestation until you either save the world or make it slightly more inhabitable for cockroaches. It's basically SimEarth with an environmentalist hangover, and somehow makes graphs feel like moral choices. Fun? Debatable. Educational? Oh yes. #abandonware]]>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Balance+of+the+Planet&gid=1584emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Balance+of+the+Planet&gid=1584<![CDATA[Forget Sonic. Forget Mario. Zool is a ninja from the Nth Dimension, which is apparently a place where hyperactive insects fight sentient sweets. Speed is the name of the game, and Zool never walks—he zips, spins, and somersaults through levels like he drank six espressos too many. Released during the early ‘90s mascot craze, Zool is what happens when you ask, “How much neon and sugar can you fit into a platformer?” The answer is: all of it. A cult classic that’s as chaotic as it is colorful. #abandonware]]>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Zool&gid=1592emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Zool&gid=1592<![CDATA[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure is a point-and-click adventure game released in 1989 by Lucasfilm Games. The game was designed by Ron Gilbert, David Fox, and Noah Falstein. It is based on the 1989 film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", directed by Steven Spielberg. The game follows the plot of the movie closely and includes a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and dialogue interactions. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was originally released for various platforms, including MS-DOS, Amiga, Atari ST, and others. #abandonware]]>Sun, 09 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Indiana+Jones+and+the+Last+Crusade&gid=1295emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Indiana+Jones+and+the+Last+Crusade&gid=1295<![CDATA[In the 1980s and 1990s, PCs were still uncharted territory, and the software of the time perfectly reflected that evolving, somewhat experimental landscape. Programs like Norton Commander and Deluxe Paint are often remembered as icons of that era, but they were far from alone: there was an entire universe of tools still remembered today.For productivity, programs like Lotus 1-2-3, WordPerfect, and Microsoft Works were ubiquitous—essential, fast, and advertised as capable of turning your PC into a pocket-sized office. Those taking their first steps into digital graphics found their way through editors such as Deluxe Paint, CorelDRAW, or the early versions of Adobe Photoshop, which were beginning to shape the industry.In the realm of file management and operating systems, MS-DOS, PC Tools, and the first versions of Windows coexisted with more spartan utilities like XTree Gold and Norton Utilities. These were essential tools for navigating files and directories, recovering data, or squeezing a few extra kilobytes out of hard drives that were tiny compared to what we use today.And then there was the creative and multimedia side, which exploded in the ’90s with software like Painter, 3D Studio, Director, and various Tracker music tools, paving the way for new methods of producing images, animations, and audio. Each program was crafted with an almost artisanal care, optimized to run on limited machines, and forced developers to focus on what truly mattered.Here's a list of some of the most memorable software from that era:ProductivityLotus 1-2-3 – The spreadsheet giant before Excel.WordPerfect – The leading word processor of the ’80s.Microsoft Works – A lightweight all-in-one suite.Graphics & MultimediaCorelDRAW – The dominant vector illustration tool.Painter – Known for its natural media brushes.3D Studio – The precursor to 3ds Max and a milestone in 3D graphics.Operating Systems, File Managers & UtilitiesMS-DOS – The backbone OS of IBM-compatible PCs.Windows 3.1 / 95 – The versions that brought Windows mainstream.Norton Commander – The iconic dual-pane file manager.Audio & MusicFastTracker – A classic tracker for PC composers.Impulse Tracker – A refined tracker used by demoscene artists.Cakewalk – One of the earliest consumer-level MIDI sequencers.Misc / IconicPKZIP / PKUNZIP – The standard for file compression.Netscape Navigator – The browser that defined early web surfing.Winamp – The MP3 player that “whipped the llama’s ass.” The ’80s and ’90s were the decades in which many influential software titles emerged, ones that helped companies like Adobe rise to prominence, but also others that unfortunately never spread as widely as they deserved (who doesn’t miss Norton Commander?). #abandonware]]>Sun, 02 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=744&title=Goold+Old+Software%3A+from+Norton+Commander+to+Deluxe+Paintemanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/news-item.php?idn=744&title=Goold+Old+Software%3A+from+Norton+Commander+to+Deluxe+Paint<![CDATA[Before Wake of the Ravager, there was Dark Sun: Shattered Lands, the first CRPG to bring Athas to life. It was a bold departure from the usual Gold Box formula, with more freedom in exploration and a focus on tactical, grid-based combat. The story throws you into a slave revolt, immediately rooting the player in the grit and cruelty of Dark Sun’s world. The visuals are colorful yet harsh, and the dialogue gives a real sense of agency. While rough around the edges, it was groundbreaking for D&D video games, showing fantasy could be sun-scorched and savage. #abandonware]]>Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Dark+Sun%3A+Shattered+Lands&gid=1504emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Dark+Sun%3A+Shattered+Lands&gid=1504<![CDATA[Released in 1996 for DOS, this beast is not a new game so much as an ultra-hard remix of Doom II, crafted by level designers who apparently thought “too much ammo” was a moral failing. There’s no storyline to hold your hand, no fancy cutscenes—just you, a gun, and enough demonic cannon fodder to start your own infernal army. If you thought you’d mastered Doom, Final Doom politely invites you to prove it… then proceeds to stomp on your pride with a Cyberdemon’s hoof. It’s raw, it’s brutal, and it’s unapologetically old-school. Grab your shotgun and your patience - you’ll need both. #abandonware]]>Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Final+Doom&gid=3891emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Final+Doom&gid=3891<![CDATA[Star Wars: X-Wing is science fiction vehicle simulation game set in the Star Wars universe designed by Lawrence Holland, Edward Kilham, developed by LucasArts and released by LucasArts in 1993. #abandonware]]>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0200https://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Star+Wars%3A+X-Wing&gid=1751emanjonez@gmail.com (Abandonware DOS)Articlehttps://www.abandonwaredos.com/abandonware-game.php?abandonware=Star+Wars%3A+X-Wing&gid=1751