Post by mikkh on May 25, 2022 15:15:48 GMT
Before PC's became a standard feature in households - mostly because of the cost (pre 1990's) The so called home computer ruled the roost.
Essentially a glorified game machine, but it could do 'serious' things too thanks to an inbuilt keyboard and some clever programming.
The most popular 8 bit machines were ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC 64 and the BBC Micro B if you could afford the eye watering price, although they did later produce a cut down version called the BBC Electron, which was the first machine I actually bought brand new. These 8 bit computers are probably the ones most people are nostalgic about.
Technology doesn't stand still though and two 16 bit computers, the Atari ST and the Commodore Amiga came to dominate the market, along with the rise of gaming consoles from Sega, Nintendo and the first Playstation.
All these can be run via software emulators on a modern PC because they are many times faster than the original machines they are emulating.
Even old Windows XP machines can cope easily, which is no surprise when even the 16 bit Amiga came with just 512 KB or 1 MB of RAM and obviously the older 8 bits came with much less.
Although I'm old enough to remember the 8 bits, it's the 16 bits and the Amiga in particular that get me thinking about 'the good old days' most.
The most popular (freeware) Amiga emulator is FS-UAE and is available for Linux, Windows and MacOS. I think it's fairly logical to set up and use, but it might cause problems for some. There is a commercial version called Amiga Forever for those wanting to get straight into it with no hassle, but it will cost you £30 or a rummage round the torrent sites!
I like FS-UAE and it even mimics the old floppy disk loading sound which is a nice touch and a real trip down memory lane.
The games are easy to find on Google, but be warned, fond memories of old games don't always match up to your expectations or your much older reactions!
I have enjoyed reacquainting myself with Pinball Fantasies, Pinball Dreams and others which still play extremely well though.
Happy retro gaming.
Essentially a glorified game machine, but it could do 'serious' things too thanks to an inbuilt keyboard and some clever programming.
The most popular 8 bit machines were ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC 64 and the BBC Micro B if you could afford the eye watering price, although they did later produce a cut down version called the BBC Electron, which was the first machine I actually bought brand new. These 8 bit computers are probably the ones most people are nostalgic about.
Technology doesn't stand still though and two 16 bit computers, the Atari ST and the Commodore Amiga came to dominate the market, along with the rise of gaming consoles from Sega, Nintendo and the first Playstation.
All these can be run via software emulators on a modern PC because they are many times faster than the original machines they are emulating.
Even old Windows XP machines can cope easily, which is no surprise when even the 16 bit Amiga came with just 512 KB or 1 MB of RAM and obviously the older 8 bits came with much less.
Although I'm old enough to remember the 8 bits, it's the 16 bits and the Amiga in particular that get me thinking about 'the good old days' most.
The most popular (freeware) Amiga emulator is FS-UAE and is available for Linux, Windows and MacOS. I think it's fairly logical to set up and use, but it might cause problems for some. There is a commercial version called Amiga Forever for those wanting to get straight into it with no hassle, but it will cost you £30 or a rummage round the torrent sites!
I like FS-UAE and it even mimics the old floppy disk loading sound which is a nice touch and a real trip down memory lane.
The games are easy to find on Google, but be warned, fond memories of old games don't always match up to your expectations or your much older reactions!
I have enjoyed reacquainting myself with Pinball Fantasies, Pinball Dreams and others which still play extremely well though.
Happy retro gaming.