Web preservation site Internet Archive has pulled the lid off its latest initiative: a growing repository of around 2400 emulated MS-DOS games! Anyone who has recently tried to play a game that ran on Microsoft's pre-Windows operating system is well aware of how annoying it can be to get the darn thing to function properly. The Internet Archive's library does all the heavy lifting for you by running the games right inside your browser window through the use of the EM-DOSBOX emulator.
What kinds of games are available? What isn't? You've got old classics like The Oregon Trail, Scorched Earth, Maniac Mansion, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, Jazz Jackrabbit, Commander Keen 5, and even Mario's Game Gallery, the first time Charles Martinet voiced the famous Italian plumber. Then there are tons of other titles that probably slipped under everyone's radar.
The emulator is still in beta, so there are likely to be tons of issues, with some game even being unplayable. Hopefully those problems will get sorted in due time. For now, enjoy this trip down memory lane as best as you can.
