Although DOS games have lost much of their popularity today, there are many people who continue to play them. If you have such a desire, be sure to try this application.

First start

When you first launch the game, you will immediately be taken to the command line menu. If you don’t know the principles of working with MS DOS well, try to remember the process of launching cmd.exe in a Windows system or on a Linux terminal. Something similar happens.

Commands should be entered in text mode on the line provided. Using the virtual keyboard, entering text should not cause any problems. You can also emulate a computer mouse or keyboard, which can also be convenient.

Peculiarities

To launch the selected DOS application, you should initially download it to the memory card, and then open it directly from there using an emulator. To go to this directory, you can use special commands on the line. You can also find the required manul on the Internet.

The main advantages of this application include the presence of sounds, several different text input options and, of course, scaling. In this case, emulation is performed quite quickly, but depends entirely on the power of your mobile device.

This application can really be useful for people who like to access the network using a VPN or proxy. In addition, it will come in handy if you like to launch a virtual machine from an existing one.

Here you can download DosBox Turbo games for Android absolutely free!

Have you ever wanted to play old PC games on your Android? With a little effort and following the instructions, you can immerse yourself in history and play these classic games on your phone or tablet, and this short guide is designed to help you understand how to set up your gadget using the DosBox Turbo application. We ask for your attention and so, let's go:

• Step #1

First, you need to use the Google Play search to find and buy the DosBox Turbo application from the developer Fishstix. The program costs $4.99, but this price is justified. You can also use a free alternative such as DosBox from HYStudio, but you will not be able to use some advanced options and additional features.

• Step #2

If you don't have a physical controller and aren't using a device with a hardware keyboard or buttons (like the Nvidia Shield), then you'll need to download the Gamepad. This free app from the makers of DosBox Turbo lets you turn your old QWERTY keyboard into a joystick. In the future it will be used to control games.

• Step #3

First you need to configure everything. Open the options of your Android device and find “language & input” in the list. Click on "Gamepad" to activate it.

• Step #4

Now let's download the game. The setup steps will be different for each individual toy, so you'll have to use your wits to get your favorite old PC game to work on Android. As an example, we will take the paid version of the legendary game Doom, which can be downloaded from the id company website. As for other games, you can download them from the Good Old Games portal, or even rip files from the original CD or Floppy.

• Step #5

Now we need a file manager (the standard free File Manager from the Google Play store will do). Using it, open the “Download” folder on your Android device and find the compressed Doom file. Tap on it and click “extract”. Select “extract to new directory” and name this folder “Doom”, or whatever you like. All these manipulations can be performed on a PC, if it is more convenient for you. Just connect your Android device and copy all the necessary files.

• Step #6

Launch DosBox Turbo. If you are using the application for the first time, it should give you the following message: “Drive C is mounted as local directory /storage/emulated/0/Download.” If everything is written exactly like this, then it’s good. Tap on the keyboard activation button to see the keys. If you don’t see them, then turn your device into “portrait mode” or swipe from left to right to open a menu where you can activate the keyboard.

• Step #7

Type "cd doom" to open the folder we just created. Now type “install.bat” to start the installation. A little tip for those who are new to DOS - if you enter "dir/w", you will get a complete list of folders and files, which will help you specify the path correctly.

• Step #8

The Doom installation process should now begin. The program will ask you what drive you want to install on (enter “C”), if you can install the game in the “DOOMS” folder (enter “Y”), and if you can create a folder with that name (type “Y” again). Once complete, press Enter several times to select the default control and sound settings.

• Step #9

Click "save parameters" and launch Doom. Everything should be great, except for the fact that the controls won't work. What to do? Go to options in the top right corner and click on “input method”. Select "GamePad" from the list to make your keyboard a controller.

• Step #10

Almost done! Click the "settings" button at the top and select "button/controller maps". You will see that the controller is connected, but you need to configure the meaning of the buttons yourself. Tap on “add button mapping” and select the very first option. Press the "A" button on the controller at the bottom of the screen to assign a value to this button. Then, select Left Control from the dropdown list. Now, this button will be used to shoot in Doom. But if you're running another game, you'll need different buttons. It is recommended to find a detailed tutorial on the Internet that describes the controls for your game.

• Step #11

If you're using a hardware keyboard or controller, make sure the "select input mode" section is set to "physical joystick" and then set the button values ​​as described above (just press the physical buttons to activate them). If your game requires a mouse, select "TouchScreen Mouse" in "Input Settings". There are enough options here to achieve optimal mouse performance.

• Step #12

Everything should now work. Doom will run and run on your Android. But there is one catch... The fact is that before each new start of the game you will have to repeat some procedures again. You will need to re-enter the folder (type “cd dooms”) and launch the application (“doom”). Of course, you can live with this, but let’s still correct this shortcoming. Download the free DosBox Manager application, all from the same developer Fishstix.

• Step #13

Launch the program. Click the small options button at the bottom of the screen to see a menu and select "add". For the profile name, select the name of the game, in our case Doom.

• Step #14

You will now see a settings menu similar to DoxBox Turbo. Here you can configure the button values ​​and any other options needed specifically for Doom. When everything is ready, select “DosBox Settings” and tap on “Autoexec”. Here you can configure what DosBox should do automatically when you tap on the newly created profile. You need Doom to run. Tap after "C:", go to a new line, type "cd dooms", go to the next line and type "doom". Click "okay" and return to the DosBox Manager home page. Tap on your Doom profile and, if everything was done correctly, the game will launch.

• Step #15

And finally, why not decorate your DosBox Manager? Find any background image you like on the Internet and save it to your device. Then, click on the profile and select "change icon". Find the saved image and use it as a graphical interface for the application. It would look very good, for example, to have an impromptu bookshelf on which your old games are stored.

Quite a lot of programs have been released for the Android platform, including various emulators, for example, NESoid (Dendy), Ataroid (Atari 2600), ZXoid (Spectrum). There is also currently an alpha version of the aDosBox emulator, the capabilities of which we will now consider.
So, what is aDosBox? To do this, you need to understand that the Android OS itself is an emulator, namely, the Dalvik virtual machine. Therefore, aDosBox is an “emulator within an emulator” type system. Accordingly, the emulation speed, whatever one may say, will be quite slow and directly depends on the phone model.
For example, on my aPad ZT-80 tablet computer with a frequency of 1 GHz, a 15 MHz processor is emulated.
There is a problem with the keyboard.
The fact is that the emulator does not create a virtual keyboard; you need a real one. And most smartphones do not have it, so it will be impossible to work. It will not be very convenient to work with a small numeric keyboard, as well as a small QWERTY keyboard. The best thing is if your smartphone has a USB port into which you can connect a full-fledged USB keyboard.
True, the F1-F12, Shift, Alt, Ctrl buttons will not work on it, but this is not so scary.
Also a problem with the mouse. To move it to the right place, it is not enough to simply point your finger at the desired area of ​​the screen; you need to press where the pointer is located and, without releasing it, move it to the right place. In this case, the left mouse button will be constantly pressed, which leads to great difficulties when working with programs where operation occurs when the button is pressed and not when the button is released.
Let's look at how the emulator works using specific examples.
Volkov Commander

It is inconvenient to work with it, since the Alt and Ctrl buttons do not function. The mouse is also awkward to move. There is also one strange glitch: when you press any arrow, it is pressed twice. And if you press several times, a cycle of constant clicks will begin, so sometimes it is simply impossible to open some files. The best way to work with files is Command.com
Civilization 1

The results are also not very good.
The game is hampered by a glitch with arrows, lack of Shift and a bad mouse.
The Incredible Machines
You can play, even quite well. It's a pity that the processor slows down.
Gw-Basic
BASIC works very well. Programs run fairly quickly, without delays. And all because it has low system requirements and does not need function keys.
Ameoba
Amoeba is a minimal Spectrum emulator for DOS (3 KB). In this case, it works according to the principle: “an emulator in an emulator in an emulator,” so the speed of operation here is appropriate: the emulator loads for about a minute, and then the screen is updated about once a second. You obviously can’t play at such speeds...
Concluding the article, let’s summarize: is it necessary to download aDosBox, since it has so many shortcomings? No, you can download it, although you cannot work on it in powerful programs, you can program on it in GW-Basic, which runs without problems.
Still, this is an alpha version of the emulator, so we hope that in the future the developers will fix these errors and add many new features.

Alexander Zavgorodniy (Kakos_Nonos)
http://kabardcomp.narod.ru/

The dosbox turbo application is the fastest optimized and functional emulator. If you are a fan of retro games, then you should definitely download dosbox, which will allow you to run old games from your PC directly on your Android device.

Features and capabilities of the program

Modern hardware is not always compatible with older games. Programs written in the golden period for PCs - MS-DOS (the first PC OS to become widespread) - do not at all meet the requirements of modern operating systems.

To make old games run as well as new ones, a dosbox turbo emulator was created. Modern portable devices based on Android are characterized by high performance, so the program allows you to run the game directly on your tablet or phone.

For normal operation, the application will require access to an SD drive and at least 50 MB of free memory. By default, the program treats the memory card as drive C, so the DOS game should be reset there. To better navigate the file system, it is recommended to additionally install a file manager.

The game process is fully optimized for Android devices:

• there is the ability to work with a physical joystick, mouse and keyboard;
• touchpad emulation;
• virtual buttons superimposed on the screen (keyboard or joystick arrows) allow you to conveniently control the game process;
• there is a possibility of scaling;
• The volume buttons on a portable device can be reconfigured as game control buttons: joystick or mouse;
• support for sound effects;
• the ability to control the game using a key combination;
• the ability to choose a convenient screen display: vertical or horizontal without restarting programs and much more.

Advantages and disadvantages

The positive thing is that the program allows you to take advantage of the whole range of DOS OS capabilities on its platform: work with files, programs, run various DOS applications, such as Notepad and other office applications, defragmentation, as well as full-fledged games such as Daggerfall, Death Gate, Arcticfox, Galaxian, etc.

The disadvantages include the fact that to fully use the application you will need at least a little knowledge of the DOS operating system.

Most DOS games today are not easy to play, and it's not just because of the outdated graphics. It will be quite difficult for a modern user of portable gadgets to understand gaming tasks, means (game environment, surrounding objects, etc.), as well as methods for implementing game actions. Therefore, the application will be relevant for those who want to plunge into nostalgia and are really interested in retro games. But even if you're not familiar with DOS-era software, you'll probably be wondering just how big of a leap the gaming industry has taken over the last quarter century. The dosbox emulator for Android will help you appreciate this impressive difference: from simple graphical forms to the most complex details with a high-quality level of physical and graphical simulation. If you have already used the application, leave your impressions below in the comments.

It was better before - it's no secret. And the grass is greener, and the sun is shining, and the sand is looser, and computer games are deeper. Now, because of the graphical capabilities, every second tchotchke on PC and every first on consoles resembles a crookedly made movie, there is no soul left in them, there is no gameplay! These are not my words, in fact, I have a diametrically opposite opinion. But if you like this idea, then be sure to read this article to the end. After all, I will be launching games that came out during the golden time for PCs directly on Android. MS-DOS time! I will do this through DosBox, of course.

What is DosBox anyway? This is an application that emulates MS-DOS, of course. Why is it needed if Windows has a command line that performs all the necessary functions? For games, of course! When the oak trees were young and the carrots stood strong and upright, there were huge problems with the various technical components of the PC. Dozens of companies gnawed at each other's pedipalps to stay afloat, dozens of video cards and dozens of sound cards competed with each other. The trouble is that because of this, games were often made for only one or two sets, and practically did not work on the rest.

Yes, I’m exaggerating, the situation was not so sad then, but I hope I managed to convey the essence. Modern equipment is not always compatible with old games, and you can run the new Battlefront on your monster paired with The Witcher 3, but some Dangerous Dave, released before you were even born, will send your supercomputer on a walking erotic tour . Or maybe BSOD will show it, just to be discouraging.

To prevent such troubles from happening, and to ensure that old games run smoothly along with new ones, DosBox was created. It allows you to emulate not only the MS-DOS environment itself without original files, but also old equipment. And the best thing is that the application is almost omnivorous, and there is even a port of it on Android. DosBox Turbo is the fastest MS-DOS emulator on the Android market, and if you are a lover of retro games, it is a must-buy.

Working with it is a little difficult, especially for those who have not used MS-DOS, or have used it but have already forgotten about it. I'm from the second category, if anything. And today I will look at the simplest examples of working with this application. No mounting Windows through separate images - we will only run pure MS-DOS applications.

So, after launching the program, you should see a scary black screen with letters. There is no mouse cursor, there is no on-screen keyboard. Everything is fine, as it should be! A line with text a la “Drive C is mounted as local directory /storage/emulated/0/Download” should also appear. This means that DosBox considers the main drive to be the Downloads folder. If you plan to put games in this very folder, then everything is fine, but if they are in the root directory, then it is better to redo this moment.

“Settings” > “DosBox Settings” > “Autoexec.bat”, in the line “mount c: /storage/emulated/0/Download” remove “Downloads”. Next, add the game folder to the root directory. By the way, it’s better to immediately rename it to something short. Let's say Warlords 2 Deluxe became W2D for me. The main thing is not to forget what is what and where it goes.

The most important command at this stage of emulation is “cd”, also known as “change directory”. The command is written according to the principle “cd *folder name*”. To return to the directory above there is the command “cd ..”. Files in folders are launched by simply entering their name in the line. That is, if there is a file in the folder XCOM.BAT or XCOM.EXE, then just enter its name without the extension.

Basically, that's all a beginner needs to know. Calling the keyboard in DosBox Turbo works in portrait mode, just like the joystick. Now regarding the games. Apparently, my streak of misfortune will haunt me for a long time, because some digital games intended for DOS decided not to run on DosBox. TES Redguard showed a lack of video memory, Warlords 2 showed a sound error, the demo version of Heroes of Might and Magic crashed without declaring war... But Bard's Tale and UFO: Enemy Unknown launched quickly and pleasantly. The screensavers are skipped, the keyboard works, but the mouse doesn't work In both cases it's a bit clunky and needs some tweaking.

We can finish here. With the article, but not with the topic, of course, since for discussion there is also DosBox Manager, mounting images and games that will not launch without mounting, as well as launching through a Windows emulator. I will focus on step-by-step strategies that do not require the user to react quickly and sharply. After all, smartphones most often do not have a keyboard and mouse.

Devices