Let’s go on a nostalgic journey through 55 classic MS-DOS games to relive the golden era of gaming with short gameplay clips from beloved titles that defined the 80s & 90s! Although some of these might not be the best nowadays, they sparked that nostalgic feeling when I rediscovered them! Enjoy!
Zool 2
Chuppa Chupps’ themed game that had this lovable green ninja as the main character. I loved this game back in the day, but when you play it now, it feels quite chaotic! I think that might just be me getting older though!
Nightmare on Elm Street
This one seemed to scare the crap out of me when I was younger, but it doesn’t give too much excitement these days! Still a worthy mention for a game based on a cult classic horror film.
A.J.s World of Discovery
A fun kids game that really takes me back! I was a young kid when I first started playing MSDOS games (I was 5 years old when I played Heretic), so although these kids games might not be considered classics for some, they certainly bring back floods of memories for me!
AAARGH!
This one reminds me of the rampage games (although, in comparison, not quite as good!). You take control of a giant monster and go to town, smashing and destroying as you please!
Adventures of Robbo
A really simple puzzle game that was sometimes quite challenging! Games like these were great for getting your brain going, but we take these types of games for granted now because there are so many apps on your phone to give you that need (although they aren’t as good!)
Aladdin
I’ve never met anyone that didn’t think this Disney Aladdin game was awesome! simple platformer game where you play through the story from the film and throw apples at your enemies!
Alone in the Dark
This is another one of those fantastic horror games that scared the living daylights out of me as a kid, but I couldn’t look away! If you revisit this game, prepare yourself for a laugh! The zombies look like squidward and the werewolf that jumps through the window, looks more like a chicken with jaggy teeth!
Amazing Spider-Man
Although it can’t be compared to the absolute classic Spiderman game later on the PS1, this game was a great play back in the day! Really simple 2D platformer game.
Another World (Out of This World)
This is one of those games that I played as a kid and could NEVER get past the first level. Those leeches/worms would haunt my nightmares! Thankfully they released this for the PS3 and I was able to ‘platinum’ it. It was solid to complete it, but was worth the headache!
Ant Attack
This one might just be me, but the idea of having a game with ants in it, was a thrill for me. I was obsessed with ants (even if this was killing them) so it scratched that itch that I had at the time!
Batman Forever: The Arcade Game
I remember playing this one at a friend’s house and thinking that this was the best thing since sliced bread! I couldn’t believe that I had never played it before. Unfortunately we moved house not long after I first laid eyes on this game and there wasn’t really any way for kids to keep in contact back them (I mean, what kid thought about writing letters?). When this game popped back into my head as an adult, i was finding it difficult to find this version again, but eventually I found it (it was because the Arcade part threw me off!)
Apologies for the above, I know nobody asked! All in all, a fantastic Beat ’em up game featuring the 90s best dark superhero, Batman!
Beneath a Steel Sky
I was a sucker for point-and-click games back in the day. Day of the Tentacle and Monkey Island were among the greats. I gave this one a royal try, but I didn’t manage to get very far! Still a great game from what I managed to play!
Bomberman
I think everyone has played Bomberman at some point in their live, so there isn’t very much else to say about this game! Plant the bombs and make sure you don’t blow yourself up!
Bumpy’s Arcade Fantasy
Another one of those game that i completely forgot about, but spend a LOAD of time playing! In this cute game, you play as a bouncing ball and bounce around to try and collect all the items on the board!
Chewy: Esc from F5
Another great point-and-click adventure game where you play as a pink alien called Chewy! Comical cartoon-y fun!
Cool Spot
Probably my favourite platformer of all time! In this 7-up game, you take on the role of a red spot with shades and cool trainers. Your kin have been imprisoned in cages at the end of each level, but the only way to free them is to collect all the red dots, then shoot a bubble at the lock!
Although this is one of my favourites, this is not an easy game! The last few levels were a sore head supper!
Crime Fighter
This was another DOS game that evaded me for the longest time. This was actually one of the main reasons that i created this site, to keep a record of these games that I found the names of!
In this game, you take on the role of a wannabe criminal and try to build your empire. To get some quick cash, you can blackmail people or steal kids from the local playpark (you need to have a hotel room to store them) and ransom them back! That wouldn’t be considered acceptable these days, but back in the day, it felt like you were put in the shoes of a real criminal!
Dangerous Dave
An early John Romero game (Doom) that looks like it was inspired by Super Mario. This platformer isn’t as kid friendly as Mario though, this has loads of action and when you get a few levels in, you can use a jet pack!
Day of the Tentacle
In my opinion, this is the best point and click game of all time (with Monkey Island being a very close second!). Day of the Tentacle’s humour, artwork and sound is just the perfect blend that when combined creates an absolute masterpiece!
You’re able to play this on steam with updated graphics and interface, but you do have the option to revert back to the original. (If you haven’t played this before, please experience this on the original mode, it is so much better!)
Dinopark Tycoon
In the era of tycoon games, DinoPark Tycoon stood out. As I’m sure everyone has had, I went through a stage of being obsessed with Dinosaurs, so this was a perfect blend!
Take on the role of running your very own dinosaur attraction by building your park, choosing the right dinos to hatch and make your money from visitors to the park!
Donald’s Alphabet Chase
All kids are obsessed with Disney and i was no exception! Donald’s Alphabet Chase and Mickey’s ABCs were a great intro to educational learning on the PC. These types of games were not only educational for kids to learn their letters and numbers, it was also the first steps to get used to using a keyboard!
Doom
A game that needs no introduction, Doom! I think that Doom 1 & 2 will always be a right of passage for gamers in the future. The game still plays very, very well today and is still as much of a blast now as it was when i first played it!
Duke Nukem 3D
The Duke Nukem series was the shooter games that your parents would never have consented to you playing! A funny smack talking dude kicking ass and chewing bubble gum… and he’s all outta gum!
Earthworm Jim
Quirky platformer that you play as an earthwork in a space suit, what more could you want? The art style and humour of Earthworm Jim means that it needs to be included as a classic!
Fantastic Dizzy
Dizzy is a really hard puzzle game that i never completed (even as an adult!), but that didn’t stop me loving it! There was many hours sunk into this game being fascinated by the mechanics. Definitely one to try if this game has passed you by!
Fury of the Furries
Another game that i never managed to finish, but sunk a whole lot of time into! In this crazy platformer you take on the role of different coloured furry creatures and run, jump and bounce through the levels to kill the wicked one who has turned your home planet from paradise to a horrible place!
Gremlins
Not quite as good as the Gremlins 2 game, but they are very different games! This is still a fun little time killer worthy of a mention. Simply round up the gremlins and put them in the pen, simple as that!
H.U.R.L.
Need a terrible First Person Shooter game that the aim is to clean up? Look no further! Okay putting this in the classic category might be a stretch, but it just shows that there were no concepts that were too whacky for the DOS era! This game was apparently meant to take the Doom concept and make it appeal to kids… What kids do you know that can’t wait to clean up?
H20
Back with another puzzle game that is in the same sort of vein as the Lemmings games! Get on your jetpack and solve the puzzles!
Halloween Harry
A classic side scrolling shooter game by Apogee that was later renamed Alien Carnage. Bust out your flame thrower and burn through the aliens!
Heretic – Shadow of the Serpent Riders
This game will always hold a special place in my heart! This and Doom were the first shooter games that i ever played, and that i still play! The nostalgia i get when talking about Heretic though is unmatched (i even have a Heretic tattoo!).
If you are a fan of Doom and also love the dark fantasy genre, this is the game for you!
Heroes of Might and Magic
The Heroes of Might and Magic series of games fed my obsession with fantasy games throughout my early gaming years! The concept of these games is still exciting to this day, so if this series passed you by, no time like the present!
Hexen
This is the sequel to Heretic, so it was a no-brainer that i would have this game! This great first person shooter took Heretic to the next level with three playable classes with different weapons! This game was absolutely solid to complete (hard) and the main gripe was that it was too difficult!
Hexen’s concept is fantastic though when you look back. The levels are all intertwined and rather than being a linear shooter game like Heretic, they mixed an FPS game with a puzzle game essentially!
Holiday Lemmings
Lemmings is one of those instantly recognisable games that everyone from this era of gaming knows about. It wouldn’t be right for them not to be included in this list. I just decided to be different and add in the holiday version because it was December when i started this page!
How Things Work in Busytown
Sorry, we have another kids game thrown in here! This game is based on Richard Scarry’s Busytown book and animated cartoon series and it is the sequel to Richard Scarry’s Busytown.
Hugo’s House of Horrors
Hugo’s House of Horrors is a game that i didn’t get to play until the later years because it came out in 1990 (i was 1 at that point!), but even then this puzzle-y, haunted house game was still quite fun!
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
My dad really liked the Indiana Jones movies, so when i had a chance to play a game based on the movie, you better believe that I jumped at the chance. I played the game not too long ago and although it wasn’t quite how i remember it, it was still a cool little throwback that i enjoyed!
Inspector Gadget: Mission 1 – Global Terror!
I have memories of playing this game back in the day, but don’t remember getting very far in it! It might be because it was kind of a point-and-click game with the puzzles, but that was a bit too complicated for me as a kid. Lovely the idea of it though!
International Ninja Rabbits
Who wouldn’t like to take on the role of a ninja rabbit and kick some butt? This isn’t really a well known beat ’em up game, but it was a fun throwback!
J.R.R. Tolkiens War in Middle Earth
This one was a very ambitious game for it’s time. Mixing RPG and Stragegy together and following the books quite closely, this game is certainly an exciting one for diehard fans of the books! I would say that the learning curve is quite high because of the interface though!
JRR Tolkien’s Riders of Rohan
Can you tell I’m a fan of Lord of the Rings yet? This is another game that plays similarly to War in Middle Earth, but this game focuses on the Two Towers book, starting just before the siege of Helm’s Keep.
Jack Flash
Another side scrolling shooter game with a great sense of humour. I really wish that that new games took as much pride in their humour as they did back then!
Jack in the Dark
This one is more of a mini game as it was released as a teaster to Alone in the Dark 2, but it was still a spooky little game with the same graphics as Alone in the Dark!
Jagged Alliance Deadly Games
Okay so this one isn’t usually considered that great because it didn’t really have any story unlike it’s prequal, but sometimes you just want to play without following a story, so that part didn’t bother me too much!
James Pond 2: Codename RoboCod
I’m a sucker for silly games and although this is a great game, the whole play on 007 as a fish was what really reeled me in (i make no apologies for the pun). A fun platformer that you should check out if you haven’t already!
Jungle Book
Another classic Disney film that got a game adaptation. Although this one wasn’t quite as good as the Aladdin game, it was still a load of fun to play!
Jurassic Park
This is a really cool and pretty exciting shooter that any fan of the franchise should check out. As with most DOS games, don’t expect an easy ride here, the game can get pretty difficult!
King’s Bounty
This game needs to have an honorable mention as it was the predecessor to Heroes of Might and Magic! This game was the real hero of the franchise for bringing the concept to gamers!
Krusty’s Fun House
If you were anything like me, you were completely obsessed with The Simpsons growing up, so naturally i would play anything that they could throw at me! This game is different from the rest of the Simpsons games that came out though! In this game you play as Krusty the clown and have to capture all of those pesky mice (they look like Itchy), by using your brain to figure out how to do it!
Worms
Another absolute classic that I played to death! Worms was a ridiculously fun concept where you take on the role of a group of worms to attack and kill the other group of worms with guns and bombs (and a whole load of other weapons!). I’m sure that everyone has already played this game before, so this is your sign to boot it up and enjoy it all over again!
Rodney’s Funscreen
I’m back with another kids educational game folks. This is probably the game that i had the most difficulty finding and i was almost convinced that it was a fever dream because nobody had any idea what i was talking about when i brought it up!
The sounds and voices in this game brought back loads of nostalgia for me and I’m really glad that i was finally able to find it again!
Scooters Magic Castle
Scooter’s Magic Castle will always be the king of kids educational games for me. This was probably my first ever introduction into the concept of castles and fantasy and started me on a path that shaped my interests in my life.
This game has a tonne of fantastic mini games that gets kids excited and interested in learning, without really knowing that they are learning!
Civilization
This game will always be known as the time sucker for me. I loved this game so much growing up and even when i play it these days, it has the same effect on me. Once i load the game up and play a few rounds, suddenly 4 hours pass in an instant!
This is just a masterpiece of a game, especially for it’s time!
Putt Putt and Fatty Bear’s activity pack
Putt Putt was a staple for kids who had a PC in their house. From learning to playing checkers, this loveable purple car was our guide to play!
I have fond memories of playing the checkers with my parents and them laughing at the silly movements that they made!
Tempest 2000
If i cast my mind back, there are two games that stand out as being my dad’s go to games. Heretic and Tempest 2000. This is a really simple arcade game where you need to shoot the shapes to advance to the next level. Although the concept is simple, i bet you will get right into the game when you play it!
