cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ninja/post/22114

I get it. You hate “boomer shooter.” Why have people spent years using the term without checking with you, the consumer? Maybe you just hate the idea of remakes. Maybe you prefer to play the standards that boomer shooters are built on. Buying old hardware can get expensive so I offer a way to go retro without breaking the bank.

PCem, a vintage PC emulator, while no longer maintained by its original creator, remains highly usable. As the author is open to delegating maintenance to a new individual, it’s possible that updates may occur in the future. For Windows users, backwards compatibility support is robust, suggesting that existing Windows versions of PCem should operate smoothly for the foreseeable future. Despite a lack of recent enhancements, PCem’s existing binaries are reliable and accessible, offering an excellent option for those interested in PC emulation.

UniPCemu, another full PC emulator, originally developed for PSP but now available on multiple platforms including Windows, is also an active project. It provides near cycle-accurate emulation of 8086/8088 chips, with only a 4% discrepancy, according to the UniPCemu wiki. This makes it a promising choice for those seeking an accurate emulation experience.

DOSBox, another popular emulator focused on DOS-based games, is still actively maintained, with a significant number of changes accumulating in its development repository. However, new releases have been sparse, as the development team emphasizes ensuring minimal regressions before rolling out new versions. The existing releases, referred to as 0.74-x, are primarily focused on bug fixes and don’t incorporate any new features from the development branch. Nonetheless, the developers have plans for a new release in the future.

Contrastingly, DOSBox-X has a distinct focus and is subject to frequent updates. Originally aimed at enhancing fidelity for running demoscene productions, DOSBox-X has now expanded its focus to improving fidelity in general. This active maintenance and the unique value proposition makes DOSBox-X a worthy emulator for those interested in high fidelity PC emulation.

Moreover, MAME is worth exploring for PC emulation. Its developers prioritize accuracy in their emulation, making it another strong choice for enthusiasts. Other options such as WeeCee, an actual miniature PC, could provide an authentic experience within a modern PC environment. Despite its size, WeeCee is capable of running a wide array of speed-sensitive games proficiently, making it another viable option for those interested in vintage PC gaming.

#hardware #emulation #retrofps #boomer_shooter

  • Macawesome75@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    14·
    2 years ago

    Boomer shooter isn’t the worst genre name ever, in fact I think it fits the genre quite well. There are certainly a lot of things going boom in a typical boomer shooter, and the baby boomers are only one generation off of the “proper” generation, so it represents its age.

    Certainly better than the -likes, do you guys really want the “doom-likes” term to resurface?

    • pory@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      2 years ago

      Yeah, boomer shooter is more fun to say than “pre-realism FPS” and I do think that’s the main difference between boomer shooters and other FPS: pick fun over realism every time. Go Fast. Shoot Gun. None of this “realistic reload time and sprint endurance meters and limit on how much ordnance you can carry at once” nonsense. Hit head, head explode.

    • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
      5·
      2 years ago

      Two generations. Gen X didn’t really get into gaming that much at all back in the days, by and large at least college age when doom came out.