I can't be the only one suffering the loss of playing the games of the '90's and early new century adventure games. I have games (and even printed out forum answers from so many of these old games) packed away and untouched for years. They have been occupying a bookcase in a closet all this time, collecting dust. Today, I decided to pack them up and move them to an out-of-the-way place. Got boxes out and was only able to pick up the first two games when I thought, "I can't do this". Put the 2 games back into the bookcase and closed the closet door. Some years ago I gave the old games I wasn't really interested in to my daughter to sell. I remember one was Quin (sp?) which she sold for $50. Do I want to ever play these wonderful games again? I don't know. I kind of worry that I will be disappointed after all this time. That the thrill of the opening music and video won't move me any more. (well, I know hearing the Myst music always gets me excited!) Very few of the games today come any where near to the thorough enjoyment I experienced with these old games. Maybe they won't play on the updated laptops and Windows 8, 10 and Beyond! Maybe I'll start a personal crusade and start playing them again, one-by-one. Get my XP desktop operating again.
Sigh! Its like parting with old friends.

Hi Joanie,

I understand what you felt. I boxed 3 large boxes with my large box adventure games last year and I remember the pleasure of playing them several decades ago. The hours during nights and weekends that I can play. Notes of clues and piled high. I threw them away with a sigh here, a groan there. The games bought after intensive budgeting, beta copies, loose CDs. The memories.
I have the small folder games on 3 bookcases and still see great games made.

Qin is one of those great classic games that was such a pleasure to play. History, eye candy, great puzzles... Wait --- there was a bad glitch on that one.

Ah yes - I understand and get melancholic.

I found a maze map from one of my old games last week. The good old days.

I am still finding awesome, boxed, never opened games at the thrift store. Never sold and the stores are donating. They won't work on the 8.1 I have and it's so sad. Maybe we can convince the game developers to rework them for the new operating systems? In any case, the Big Box, Anniversary Edition of Myst is sitting here looking at me. I won't open it. Just gonna use it for decoration.

Me too. I've been contemplating emptying a bookshelf full of games and trying to decide what to do with them.

Ana

Same here, several shelves of games.

I have all my old favorite games. Some are on CDs that you have to change as you progress thru the game. I still have my old Sony computer with both Xp1 and windows 98 on it. It still runs and still plays my old original games from the 90's. I haven't gone thru them in a while. Kept my notes with the games in a file too.

I had a big sort out years ago and donated oldies that I knew I wouldn't be bothered about playing again to local Charity Shops.

But those I kept are keepers for ever !!

Looking at them sitting on my shelves in their lovely big boxes (stuffed as they are with vital info and walkthroughs) still gives me tremendous pleasure

At the moment I'm still able to play all these old favourites (even the ancient DOS ones ) and I still get the same thrill as I ever did when I fire one up (I do replay them) but I keep an ever more watchful eye on GOG's re-releases against the day that I know will eventually come that one of my treasured older machines reaches its "end"

[However, "Qin : Tomb of the Middle Kingdom" was one I gave away because as MaG so rightly says it had a massive flaw ]

I was actually forced into emptying a bookshelf full of games because it collapsed! Hit another on the way down, what a mess. I figured if I had enough games to trash a set of shelves I should probably sell a couple.

I still have every game I ever bought. Boxes and boxes of them stacked everywhere. Even ones on 5 1\4 and 3 1\2” floppies. Oh the joys of the Good Old Days! And thank Heavens for GOG games that still make some of them available. Though I have to admit some of the all time great FMV games, like Zork Grand Inquisitor and Tex Murphy, look terrible in the non-DVD version. But if you have the right hardware, they’re still some of the best ever made. I feel a sudden urge to resurrect my ancient Athlon XP 2100+ gaming machine with a Hollywood+ Mpeg2 decoder card. The OS got trashed when my video card died several years ago. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise because I think I got one of the last AGP video cards ever made. Just have to sit down and do a complete OS and driver install one of these days.
And many, Many, MANY thanks to Gameboomers that has added so much to the joy over the years.
Albert

Trail that's to funny. Hope all survived the fall! Albert I agree. Gameboomers has added a lot of joy to my gaming over the years and new friends too.

I don't remember the glitch in Qin. Where was that? I enjoyed the games where there was information to learn. Does anyone remember Operation Weather Disaster, with the little robot Millibar? That was a fun game. When I bought Connections, it came with.

These games are one good reason to be thankful for Michael Nyqvist and the Carol Reed games. He really brings back this old ideal.

Give it enough time and eventually someone will re-code the old favorites and they'll be available to play on-line

I'm going to assume you're not talking about DOS games because those are relatively easy to get working in DOSBox on modern computers. Beginners may have trouble with the concept of mounting the C: drive and the CD/DVD drive, but beyond that DOSBox is fairly easy if you know DOS -- and there are always front ends like DFend Reloaded to make things easier.

The choice in Windows games is different today from what it was in the 1990's.
Most Windows games in the 1990's and early 2000's were 1st person point-and-clicks, so if you like that style, or if you like to alternate between 1st and 3rd person point-and-clicks, it's no wonder you're feeling disappointed. There are very few first person point-and-click adventures being made any more (note I did not say none at all -- we still have Carol Reed, and she's better than ever). Keyboard-controlled games with FPS-style movement don't play the same as point-and-clicks (and are unplayable if they cause motion sickness), and casual games aren't the same as full adventures -- aren't as immersive.


It may be partly due to nostalgia, but don't assume that's the only reason. As I said before, the games themselves are different. I also think not being able to hold the box (and the paper manual) in your hands diminishes the excitement of playing a new game. If you do manage to get an old favorite game playing, and the low resolution doesn't bother you, you may find yourself thinking, "YES !! This is why I enjoyed playing adventure games in the first place." Don't automatically assume you'll be disappointed.


It's not just the Windows version. There are issues with low resolution, non-widescreen, and CPU speed.

A few Windows games can be played in ScummVM.
http://www.scummvm.org/compatibility/1.7.0/
Myst III is supposed to be playable in ResidualVM, though it's not 100%.
http://residualvm.org/compatibility/


I wouldn't give up on them. Maybe your XP desktop would work (if it's not too new). If you have an older computer from around year 2000, that would probably be the easiest way to play them. Unfortunately maintaining an old computer requires some degree of technical ability, or the interest in acquiring it, or someone to do it for you.

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This thread should really be in "Adventure Game Discussions" rather than "Mixed Bag" since it is definitely about adventure games. I'm sure some people missed it here in Mixed Bag.