Questionable "PC Classic" Console Promises Major '80s, '90s DOS Games

Megalith

Megalith

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Unit-e is hopping on the miniature console bandwagon with the $99 PC Classic, which aims to deliver “an adorable DOS game console for your TV” with many of the titles “that defined the PC gaming experience of the ’80s and ’90s.” Some are questioning the console’s authenticity and purpose, however, as it will ship with a controller instead of a keyboard and mouse, and most DOS games are easily available.

Maybe the game library will be awesome. Maybe the emulation will notably improve on what’s already commercially available or simply free online. Maybe we’ll see robust controller and keyboard+mouse support. But as it stands right now, this feels like a nostalgia product designed by people who didn’t actually game this way in the first place, hoping to cash in on a demographic they don’t really know how to appeal to.
 
Not a good idea. GOG exists for a reason. Besides, not sure I really miss any PC games from the 80's (I had a C64 and an Amiga back then - only a small handful of games from those platforms I care about - MULE, Paradroid to name a few)
 
I think these are more aimed towards people who never played those games at the time. But I don't think that's a big number, who would actually be interested in playing old games, as most would just frown what is this crap and leave. And rightly so. What was considered bleeding edge game mechanics then, are completely unacceptable by today's standards. Sure there are a few clever games that stand up to the test of time well, but not many.

As for the nostalgia factor, those who already played the games back in the 90s, would rather play on dosbox on their pc, no need for a nth piece of hardware for that.

And besides the execution quality of this product seems awful. If their promo video quality is any indication.
 
Eh...

From the videos, they included a few shareware versions of popular games, and some games I never even heard of. PC gaming was just vastly different than console gaming in the 1980s. A completely different audience. You wanted fast paced action games, you got an NES. You wanted cerebral RPGs or adventure games, you got a PC. And today, that audience is considered niche.
 
I can't think of one person who used a DOS based PC with a television in that timeframe.
 
My god that's fugly.

DOS games SUCKED back then, CGA was horrible, EGA wasn't much better. The C-64 had better graphics, then the Amiga/AtariST. I would say that It was until VGA and Windows95 that PC gaming started.

I do recall playing Leisure Suit Larry, TestDrive and Bushido in full CGA glory.
 
Some games looked pretty good on a Hercules card. IIRC Wizardry was one. But yes, most of my gaming from that era was on my C-64. Don't get the TV thing. Most TVs from that time were doing good to have a cable jack. Don't really want to re-visit the TV modulator era and the ever popular ch3 or ch4 choice. Also thinking that a DOS game re-scaled for a modern TV will look funny.
 
I can understand the NES and SNES classic for those people not tech savvy and the PSX classic being somewhat a stretch, but who is this targeted for? I think this is the sign of market saturation.
 
Why would I play doom on that thing like this
v5cZS9T.jpg


When I can play it on my PC like this.
iW0wMXB.jpg
 
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My DOS machine only uses a 400w power supply, and runs duke nukem just fine.

We were amazed to find we had only played about half the maps on the cd we had.
 
I think the most nostalgic thing about the whole project is the faux floppy drive on the beige case. Ahh...my old 386.
 
Infiltrator, Marble Madness, Stunts, EGA/VGA Trek, Impossible Mission, Raid Over Moscow, et al, etc.
Some really, really great DOS-based PC games to be (re)played.

I still have my FD storage boxes...and haven't so much as cracked one open in at least half a decade when I went to a FDD-less system when I built my current 3770K Z77 platform on launch day.
 
does it come with a differently configured autoexec.bat and config.sys file for each title....no then i don't want it, not nostalgic enough for me. 640k...blablabla
 
Wiffle said:
There is nothing "Classic" about this unless you either need a boot disk and or have to type in dos commands in order to make the games run.
Click to expand...

And the original manual, or some other decoder wheel type device, to access the game.
 
I do miss having to configure the sound card irq's and dma's or running i think it was emm386 to get the game to run? Lets not even get into dialup multiplayer after finally getting it to work, the sister of your friend picks up the phone and disconnects you both.
 
From the site lol

Will the PC Classic come in other colors? Chain-smoker beige doesn’t complement my furniture.

Yes, heretic, we will also offer at least 1 other color in a more modern palette. The faceplate will also more closely match the enclosure color in production models.
 
If you are going to promote a product, you should at least act excited. The guy's about as engaging as watching glue dry. Audio sucked too.

I'd bet he gets some limited success, but it's not something he's going to get rich on.
 
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