Classic PC Games

Captain Squid · Seaman Posts: 191 **4360 Gold** -

I found a website last week that features downloads of a lot of the games that trigger fond memories from those on this forum. The downloads are legal, and extras such as the original box art and soundtrack files are often available. Since I found the place I have had a blast playing Colonization and Master of Magic. Pirates Gold is out there too, and many other games that will really take you back down memory lane.

Go to Illegal From there you can download the games and also DosBox, which makes running these games under Windows a snap. It took me about 5 minutes to get MoM up and running.

Having fun playing these great old games reminds me that while I have no complaints at all about the advances in computer power and graphics capability over the years, great graphics isn't what makes a good game. Great gameplay is.
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"Have you struck? Do you ask for quarter?"
"I have not yet begun to fight!"

headrock · Rigger Posts: 1567 **354 Gold** -

The currently largest site of abandonware on the net is Illegal . It is also the most extensive in terms of technical support for these games, and features Bittorrent downloads for recent, larger scale games. Illegal also maintains close relations with game designers and sometimes releases new abandonware by consent from the original developer! And if you've found something that you want but hasn't yet been abandoned, Illegal gives links to sites where you can buy the software, often for lower prices than usual.
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Blondebeard: "Madre de Dios! Es el Pollo Diablo!!"
<Spanish Guitar Riff>
Guybrush: "Si! He dejado en libertad los prisioneros, y ahora vengo por TE!"

headrock · Rigger Posts: 1567 **354 Gold** -

P.S.
Abandonware is not strictly legal, it is simply in a very grey area of the law. While sites like Illegal feature a whole bunch of games that have been abadoned, the ISDA (or IDSA?) is a firm that seeks out Abandonware sites on behalf of several game publishers, legally forcing them to take down ABANDONED software, the rights to which belongs to said publishers. So while the companies don't sell the game anymore, and never plan to, they'll still hunt you down if you want to pass it on to people who've never had the chance to play it.
And somehow, this is legal. Wink

Thankfully, as of now, it seems that there is little legal interest in pursuing abadonware distributors, unless the publishers of these games have such a law company that hunts down people for them and demands their prosecution. So go out and seek your favourite games - tomorrow the company many decide that though it kills the chance of you ever enjoying their old games, they'll do whatever is neccesary to stop you from getting them free of charge (And no one's selling).
_________________
Blondebeard: "Madre de Dios! Es el Pollo Diablo!!"
<Spanish Guitar Riff>
Guybrush: "Si! He dejado en libertad los prisioneros, y ahora vengo por TE!"

rupertlittlebear · Helmsman Posts: 4545 **10381 Gold** -

In short, these links are illegal.

Howie · Helmsman Posts: 4301 **45890 Gold** -

This is indeed a very interesting topic. But as stated above it is entering into a gray area. I don't know what the legalities are so I think it would be best to shut this topic down. Thank you for your interest in this subject...
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PiratesFan · Rigger Posts: 1689 **23509 Gold** -

Since this topis is locked for being Grey material ... I went ahead and removed links. You may contact the poster and they may or may not give. I have done my part to keep grey material down to a minimun to not codone it but I am not going to stop you either. It is after all in the grey legal area.