Free Old PC Games: where to get Em'?

[slip81]

Anyone know of a place where you can download old PC games? And when I say old I mean like about 9-10 years. I'm trying to get some old DOS and Win 95 shooters like Duke Nukem 3D, Quake, Shadow Warrior etc., but because they are so old I can't buy them anymore, and I don't feel like going through the hassle of buying them for $.99 on ebay and then paying $6.50 shipping.

Even if someone knows of a site I could pay a small fee and then download it that would be fine.

[MarkM2112]

Try doing a search for "Abandonware".

[Flack]

Google for the Underdogs.

[kraboomba]

http://www.dosgamesarchive.com/

they are experiencing technical difficulties right now but they have shareware versions of those games, and they also have dangerous dave which is a freakin' sweet little platformer. :)


Lance

[Cirrus]

I say go with www.the-underdogs.org (Flack mentioned it.) It's great, has a good review and lots of extra material for each game. You could spend an evening browsing that site and not come close to seeing it all.

If you are looking for other stuff, like Doom, etc.. you probably won't find it there. You generally have to look up Abandonware and look for the site in Russian, French, etc.. like this: http://fpp.abandonware.pl/gry/493

It's hard to navigate, but there are tons of games that aren't available anymore. For instance, when old games are supposedly "supported" by some crappy new www.buyoldgames.com re-publisher, they are frequently out of stock, and never seem to update. It's crap.

[YoshiM]

Those games are still around for purchase. I recently saw a complete minty Shadow Warrior at a local Menards for about $5.

My best luck (and best prices) came from hunting in the wild. Right now PC games are seen almost as "throw away" compared to console games. I recently picked up Warcraft (the first game), Trophy Bass and Front Page Sports Football ('95 I think) from a Salvation Army for about $1 each. I also snagged a complete in box Legend of Kyrandia trilogy on CD for about $4 at Goodwill and Half Life (pre Steam) with Blue Shift and another disk (was it Opposing Force or Counter strike, I can't remember) from a local EB Games for $8.

Personally, I'd rather own the software media not to be "legal" but to have all the files intact and virus free.

Good luck!

[Cirrus]

Those games are still around for purchase. I recently saw a complete minty Shadow Warrior at a local Menards for about $5.

My best luck (and best prices) came from hunting in the wild. Right now PC games are seen almost as "throw away" compared to console games. I recently picked up Warcraft (the first game), Trophy Bass and Front Page Sports Football ('95 I think) from a Salvation Army for about $1 each. I also snagged a complete in box Legend of Kyrandia trilogy on CD for about $4 at Goodwill and Half Life (pre Steam) with Blue Shift and another disk (was it Opposing Force or Counter strike, I can't remember) from a local EB Games for $8.

Personally, I'd rather own the software media not to be "legal" but to have all the files intact and virus free.

Good luck!

Agreed! I got Halflife/Blue Shift/Opposing force, all wrapped together at a local exchange store, for $1. So, if there is any popularity to your game at all, go with that route. It is easy to find old PC games for really low prices, and it's a ton more collectable.

There are some games, however, which you aren't going to find at the store. Or, worse yet, the company still offers them, but only for download! What? At least send me a CD with some art on it, maybe a little case. You gotta admit, there are some games (old ones) you will never find out hunting... nor can you purchase.

[calthaer]

There are also a few classic games that are being sold as pirated versions out of places like Australia or Hong Kong.

System Shock 2 is one of these games, for instance. I got a few copies for $15US ea from gameswarehouse.au I believe it was, and they are obviously pirated copies. But hey - it works.

[gamemaster5378]

http://www.dosgames.com/

[Humanoid]

Those games are still around for purchase. I recently saw a complete minty Shadow Warrior at a local Menards for about $5.

I got a mint copy of Neo Hunter and Interstate '76 from there. Go hardware stores!