7 ms·

Show HN: Resurrecting DOS – Bringing Classic Gaming to the Web

7 points by beingmudit 2y ago

Hi There, We’ve all felt the nostalgia for classic DOS games like DOOM, Prince of Persia, and Duke Nukem. Unfortunately, running these games on modern systems is a hassle with often 10+ setup steps. To bridge that gap, I’ve built a platform that leverages DOSBox and JS-DOS to bring these beloved titles directly to the browser. Say goodbye to complex setups! This platform seamlessly emulates DOS games, letting you jump straight into the action. I'm eager for your feedback on emulation performance, game compatibility, and user interface. I’m currently beta testing and plan to integrate a light CMS like PocketBase for more user controls. I’m also excited to open-source the project soon, allowing users to create personalized “DOS cabinets” with their favorite games! Let me know your thoughts and help bring back the glory days of DOS gaming!

thebuilderjr 2y ago
[flagged]
- beingmudit 2y ago
  To be honest I haven't figured out anything about the licensing yet. I think most of the games are abondonwares but I can maybe start adding a license field. Also, in the open source version, you will have to bring your own roms or maybe we can pull from archive.org.
  - wingi 2y ago
    Most games have owner (or it's unclear who own the games). Abandonware doesn't exists on a legal perspective! Find eXoDOS ... or LaunchBox ... there are illegal solutions out!
austin-cheney 2y ago
Will this be an application that I can self host, perhaps in a Docker container?
- beingmudit 2y ago
  Yes that is the exact plan. Once I get the CMS in, I can do all the customisations for users and containerise it.
  - austin-cheney 2y ago
    Great, then once that is stable contact the guys at linuxserver.io to get some super high visibility and additional maintenance support.
    - beingmudit 2y ago
      Cool. Thanks for this! Are you from the linuxserver team?
      - austin-cheney 2y ago
        No. I am just a user enjoying several of their images
krapp 2y ago
You can also play DOS games on the web through the Internet Archive[0,1] [0]https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games [1]https://blog.archive.org/2019/10/13/2500-more-ms-dos-games-playable-at-the-archive/ https://blog.archive.org/2019/10/13/2500-more-ms-dos-games-p...
wingi 2y ago
Funny, Disney owns the LucasArts adventures and used their license to let produce collectors editions by LimitedRunGames. So you will get a letter from disney. These games are active sold and you offering orirated software. https://limitedrungames.com/collections/lucasarts-classics https://limitedrungames.com/collections/lucasarts-classics

7 points by beingmudit 2y ago

thebuilderjr 2y ago

[flagged]

beingmudit 2y ago
To be honest I haven't figured out anything about the licensing yet. I think most of the games are abondonwares but I can maybe start adding a license field. Also, in the open source version, you will have to bring your own roms or maybe we can pull from archive.org.
- wingi 2y ago
  Most games have owner (or it's unclear who own the games). Abandonware doesn't exists on a legal perspective! Find eXoDOS ... or LaunchBox ... there are illegal solutions out!

austin-cheney 2y ago

Will this be an application that I can self host, perhaps in a Docker container?

beingmudit 2y ago
Yes that is the exact plan. Once I get the CMS in, I can do all the customisations for users and containerise it.
- austin-cheney 2y ago
  Great, then once that is stable contact the guys at linuxserver.io to get some super high visibility and additional maintenance support.
  - beingmudit 2y ago
    Cool. Thanks for this! Are you from the linuxserver team?
    - austin-cheney 2y ago
      No. I am just a user enjoying several of their images

krapp 2y ago

You can also play DOS games on the web through the Internet Archive[0,1] [0]https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games [1]https://blog.archive.org/2019/10/13/2500-more-ms-dos-games-playable-at-the-archive/ https://blog.archive.org/2019/10/13/2500-more-ms-dos-games-p...

wingi 2y ago

Funny, Disney owns the LucasArts adventures and used their license to let produce collectors editions by LimitedRunGames. So you will get a letter from disney. These games are active sold and you offering orirated software. https://limitedrungames.com/collections/lucasarts-classics https://limitedrungames.com/collections/lucasarts-classics