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Thread: Which versions of Windows can run nearly all games from specific older versions of Windows? (Natively)

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    Pac-Man (Level 10) Rickstilwell1's Avatar
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    Default Which versions of Windows can run nearly all games from specific older versions of Windows? (Natively)

    I didn't see a thread about this so I am curious about which classic OS I should look for to run the majority of old games natively without emulating in DOSbox or a similar program. I plan to collect an old machine or two for as cheaply as I can locally. Maybe even free.

    For example, I know that practically all DOS games run on machines up through Windows 98 for sure. (Except I think I heard they don't run on 3.x?) A
    few select .exe files can even run in Windows XP, such as the fan-made DOS versions of Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man. I'm not sure how that works as it has been many years since I did it. Do digital copies of DOS games work on any systems natively in between Windows 98 and XP, such as 2000 or ME?

    Next question, games on CD-Rom or floppy disk that were made for Windows 3.x systems. Which systems do almost all of these run on? Can they run natively on a Windows 95 or 98 machine? Which was the first system that could not run these games natively? Will they play on Windows 2000 or ME? Are any of them natively compatible with XP at all, or is this where they totally become duds?

    Windows 95 games: Do almost all Windows 95 games work in Windows 98? Do any versions of Windows in between 98 and XP run just about all of them? I know my stepdad had a copy of Windows ME and it ran Sonic CD just fine with sound and all. Sonic CD will not run in Windows XP from my experience. However, Sonic 3D Blast will.

    Windows 98 games: Will all of them run in Windows 2000 or ME? I am pretty sure I have some that can't even run on XP, but some do.

    I don't know anything about there being any games that will only run in 2000 or ME. Are there any that don't work in XP?

    Then XP games sometimes have problems in Vista/7/8. But from this point it is no longer a problem. I already have XP machines and XP is easy to get.

    From the looks of it, I don't think Vista, 7 or 8 can run anything older than XP natively, except that cockroach fluke that is Sonic 3D Blast. Why this game runs on every machine type produced after it while the many other games do not is beyond me. Perhaps someone has an explanation for this and knows of other ancient games like this which continue to run natively no matter which system you throw it at?(without any graphical errors i.e. Diablo's problem)
    Last edited by Rickstilwell1; 01-10-2014 at 01:10 AM.
    [quote name='Shidou Mariya' date='Nov 17 2010, 10:05 PM' post='4889940']
    I'm a collector, but only to a certain extent.
    Not as extreme as Rickstilwell though.[/quote]


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