Computer games have been with us since, well, computers. It may be hard for some of you young ‘uns to believe after seeing today’s virtual reality 3D game environments, but there was a time when we had nothing but alpha-numeric characters on a console screen for gaming - and we loved it!
So, a round-up of where to find the classics. Luckily, text-mode games are a no-brainer to port to any modern platform. Any first-year programming student could write one from scratch. So here’s some classics, for those seeking, for those who have forgotten, and those who have yet to discover their riches:
RPG (role-playing games)
Rogue:
A Java version online.
A Javascript version online.
Rogue for many platforms.
Moria:
Ports of Moria for PC, Mac, and Amiga.
A Linux version.
Angband:
THE Angband site - only one you need. Angband is ported to everything but a digital watch.
Nethack:
Oh, ho! Now we’re talking the top of the text-mode RPG food chain.
The official Nethack sit
Computer games have been with us since, well, computers. It may be hard for some of you young ‘uns to believe after seeing today’s virtual reality 3D game environments, but there was a time when we had nothing but alpha-numeric characters on a console screen for gaming - and we loved it!
So, a round-up of where to find the classics. Luckily, text-mode games are a no-brainer to port to any modern platform. Any first-year programming student could write one from scratch. So here’s some classics, for those seeking, for those who have forgotten, and those who have yet to discover their riches:
RPG (role-playing games)
Rogue:
A Java version online.
A Javascript version online.
Rogue for many platforms.
Moria:
Ports of Moria for PC, Mac, and Amiga.
A Linux version.
Angband:
THE Angband site - only one you need. Angband is ported to everything but a digital watch.
Nethack:
Oh, ho! Now we’re talking the top of the text-mode RPG food chain.
The official Nethack sit
If you spent much time in video game arcades throughout the golden age of the 1980’s, you have no doubt missed your favorite games from that time. Even decades later, you’ll catch yourself absently humming the theme from Super Mario Bros. or even trying to track down a Tron cabinet on eBay. Today, the cultural significance of the video game arcade generation goes largely unrecognized. Arcades you find today are a pale shadow of the golden age, with maybe a vintage multi-game machine tucked in a corner with PacMan, Burgertime, and Galaga crammed on it. Many of you might feel robbed of your childhood memories, which were won at the cost of so many dear quarters.
Well, check the screen shot from my desktop taken on 2/16/07:
1943, Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins, Mr Do!, QBert, Frogger, Shinobi…
And that’s just the beginning! The program that made this possible is MAME, the “Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator”. It is free and GPL licensed. It is cro
If you spent much time in video game arcades throughout the golden age of the 1980’s, you have no doubt missed your favorite games from that time. Even decades later, you’ll catch yourself absently humming the theme from Super Mario Bros. or even trying to track down a Tron cabinet on eBay. Today, the cultural significance of the video game arcade generation goes largely unrecognized. Arcades you find today are a pale shadow of the golden age, with maybe a vintage multi-game machine tucked in a corner with PacMan, Burgertime, and Galaga crammed on it. Many of you might feel robbed of your childhood memories, which were won at the cost of so many dear quarters.
Well, check the screen shot from my desktop taken on 2/16/07:
1943, Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins, Mr Do!, QBert, Frogger, Shinobi…
And that’s just the beginning! The program that made this possible is MAME, the “Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator”. It is free and GPL licensed. It is cro
