During the past weeks, two of Sir Arthur’s favorite retro-software sources have given new signs of life. First there was the restyling of DOSGames.com, an old acquaintance for those still interested in video games ran from the command line, then came the updated list of (MS-)DOS software still in development curated by Dev Anand Teelucksingh and known as Interesting DOS programs. Because unlike current disposable code, programs for textual environments still have a long retro-future ahead of them.

As for DOSGames.com, this past June the project creator Darren Hewer modernized a site that was still carrying a 17 years-old design: DOSGames.com version 2.0 employs a new custom backend (PHP) with a MySQL database, a setup that now powers a responsive site working on PC and mobile, an indexed games list for searches, more information on the page of every game. The new contents include guides (DOSBox), FAQs, a Guess the DOS Game quiz and much more, while the majority of games can be played right in the browser thanks to the (always troublesome) JavaScript version of DOSBox.

The new DOSGames.com – best viewed in a new tab

While introducing the DOSGames.com restyling, Hewer highlighted the increased popularity of retrogaming now compared to 1999, the year of the site official debut. New features are already planned for the upcoming future, while the latest operative updates coming these past days include new contents for the side-scrolling shooter Bio Menace and the addition of ten new games belonging to 4 different decades.

Interesting DOS programs – best viewed in a new tab

A retro-site that otherwise only looks to the past is Interesting DOS Programs, a curated list of software for MS-DOS and compatible environments which moved to a new address without forsaking its original mission: the latest updates reported by IDP include a Simtel.net archive (a perfect pastime for those having neither a life nor free time like me), the aforementioned DOSGames.com, the Mpxplay v1.62 multimedia player, the DOSMid 0.9.3 music file player, Partition-Saving v4.50 (partition backup), Image v3.21 (idem) and WCD 6.0.2 (a clone of Norton Change Directory and similar utilities).

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