NationStates Jolt Archive

For those who have no idea what it is:
Abandonware refers to computer software that is no longer claimed, owned, or copyrighted
There's plenty of sites to find it on, and most of the games are pretty good. Do any of you download/play abandonware, or do you not need to due to your original NES and large collection of old games?:p

Only once or twice.

Sometimes but I try to avoid old favorites to preserve my rose tinted memories of them. It was almost traumatising to revisit Duke Nukem 3D last year and realize for the first time that the pixels are huge and the enemies are flat. It was horrible and I never noticed it back in the days, the game is not at all like my awesome memories of it.

Your definition of abandonware is incorrect, copyright lasts 50 years after the author's death in most countries so abandonware is still copyrighted. It is just assumed that gaming companies won't bother suing anyone for copying a game they haven't been selling for years.

Never heard of it until this very moment, but now I'll keep an eye out for it.

no because if anything I'm trying to get away from the computer and have a normal life for the first time since like 11 :p

although I wouldn't mind playing moonwalker again if only it was easy to get up the bloody stairs

Not really. Sometimes I do. The X-COM series is a bit of a must.

Not really. Sometimes I do. The X-COM series is a bit of a must.

A friend of mine just got hold of a boxed set of all the x-com series. They are still fun to play.

Sometimes. The only one I have right now is Interstate 76.

Wii doesn't have near enough downloadable old games yet. They really ought get on the ball with it too.

Sometimes but I try to avoid old favorites to preserve my rose tinted memories of them. It was almost traumatising to revisit Duke Nukem 3D last year and realize for the first time that the pixels are huge and the enemies are flat. It was horrible and I never noticed it back in the days, the game is not at all like my awesome memories of it.

I'm not to big on graphics, so I guess that's a bigger problem for some people.

Your definition of abandonware is incorrect, copyright lasts 50 years after the author's death in most countries so abandonware is still copyrighted. It is just assumed that gaming companies won't bother suing anyone for copying a game they haven't been selling for years.

Copyright is life + 70 in the US, actually.

Though... copyright in countries outside the US isn't as strict. The US is pretty nuts about it, but then we have countries like Russia and China where it's pretty much game over. (You can buy entire ALBUMS online from some non-US site for about $1- completely illegal no matter how you cut it, pretty much. Plus, in China you can get a CD with all sorts of ProTools plug-ins for about $10, when in the States you'd be paying hundreds.)

Though I do think that games using old technology probably aren't top priority for companies these days, so it probably doesn't matter.

I've only picked up a few abandonware things and only kept one: Missionforce: Cyberstorm. Unfortunately, it's really buggy when running on XP so trying to play it is a trial of patience.

I've only picked up a few abandonware things and only kept one: Missionforce: Cyberstorm. Unfortunately, it's really buggy when running on XP so trying to play it is a trial of patience.

Google a program called Dosbox. It's a dos emulator that runs older games very nicely.

No, I don't. Where might I find some of these things?

Ah, thank you.

Google abandonware. Abandonia's a great site for DOS games (Use DOSBOX (http://www.dosbox.com/)). If there's a specific game you want, hit the BitTorrent networks.

Google a program called Dosbox. It's a dos emulator that runs older games very nicely.
Yeah, I know about DosBox, but Cyberstorm isn't DOS. Least, I don't think it is, came out during the Win95/98 era. Though I'd have to look into it.

Besides, right now I've got F.E.A.R., GTA: San Andreas, Star Wars: Empire at War/Forces of Corruption, Republic Commando, both KoTOR's, Stronghold 2 (Valentine's Day: I love my wife), and soon probably Sins of A Solar Empire to keep me busy.

I like to stock up.

I got a progam like that once from the computer person at my elementary school. It was this fun little animation maker thing called Flying Colors.

Yeah, I know about DosBox, but Cyberstorm isn't DOS. Least, I don't think it is, came out during the Win95/98 era. Though I'd have to look into it.

Besides, right now I've got F.E.A.R., GTA: San Andreas, Star Wars: Empire at War/Forces of Corruption, Republic Commando, both KoTOR's, Stronghold 2 (Valentine's Day: I love my wife), and soon probably Sins of A Solar Empire to keep me busy.

I like to stock up.

I've got sins of a solar empire, it's not bad. I rather like playing it, but I've only had it like a week, so it's just new. Be warned a "small" map can take 4-6 hours to completely beat. Pirates make life interesting too.

I've got sins of a solar empire, it's not bad. I rather like playing it, but I've only had it like a week, so it's just new. Be warned a "small" map can take 4-6 hours to completely beat. Pirates make life interesting too.

So I've heard. But if the way I played Space Empires is any indication, pirates/neutral empires/smaller empires/other empires in general won't last long, usually in that order. I'm a firm believer in "aggressive negotiations."

That's part of why I'm looking at Sins (and why I hunted down Cyberstorm), steamrolling your opponent isn't as easy (I recall one story about someone that went after the pirate base and found an armada numbering around 300 vessels.)

They just don't make strategy like they used to. Empire at War comes close, but it's still pretty much standard RTS fare.

Google abandonware. Abandonia's a great site for DOS games (Use DOSBOX). If there's a specific game you want, hit the BitTorrent networks.
Abandonia also has a sister site (I guess you could call it that) called reloaded.org, it has remakes of old games instead of the original versions, it's pretty neat.

So I've heard. But if the way I played Space Empires is any indication, pirates/neutral empires/smaller empires/other empires in general won't last long, usually in that order. I'm a firm believer in "aggressive negotiations."

That's part of why I'm looking at Sins (and why I hunted down Cyberstorm), steamrolling your opponent isn't as easy (I recall one story about someone that went after the pirate base and found an armada numbering around 300 vessels.)

They just don't make strategy like they used to. Empire at War comes close, but it's still pretty much standard RTS fare.

Thing is in Sins the pirates have their own world, and it's fairly heavily defended. First time I took out a pirate base they had over 400 ships guarding it and I had 99. By the time the fight was over I had 12 ships left, and I'd lost four colony worlds to raids due to having my entire fleet attacking one system. If I'd diverted any I'd of lost. Fight took about a half hour.