How did I miss this topic until just now?! Anyway.
Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:
Rock 'n' Spin (no evidence of a win-version)
It was available from this website of the author (on the Rock 'n' Spin page):
I wrote Rock 'n' Spin before I understood what it meant to write portable code, so I'm afraid it's only officially available for DOS. There is an unofficial Windows port (3.1 MB), but it doesn't perform very well and I cannot support it. There is no port of the editor. I may in the future try to clean it up and port the editor, but don't hold your breath.
I tested this version in Win10 and it ran poorly, I think it crashed right off the main menu screen.
Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:
Bubble Puzzle 97 (I can't find any official proof that the DOS-version *officially* exists??)
I think you can drop this off the list altogether. From what I know, Bubble Puzzle '97 was developed solely for Windows, but it was based on the original Bubble Puzzle from 1995 which is a DOS programme and is very similar, but not the same game. You can think of the original DOS Bubble Puzzle as a prototype or a WIP version of BP97.
Also here's a couple of pre-2002 games (mostly indie/freeware) that had both DOS and Windows releases (I put what I think is the earliest release date in brackets):
- Battlecruiser 3000 A.D. v2.0 -- the game itself is a late DOS application that has notable issues when running in pure DOS or DOSBox; but later there was a Windows native version that I was able to find here (the file name is bc3k209w.zip); it runs too fast on modern PCs (contrary to what that website states, the Windows version is very much official, but not supported by the devs)
- Bert the Barbarian (2000) -- an incomplete claymation platformer/brawler, created with DIV Games Studio as a DOS application and then ported to Windows by the author in 2002
- Berušky (1999) -- an open source Soko-Ban style puzzle game, originally developed as a DOS application and later ported to Windows
- Big Mac PC (2002) -- this is a fan conversion of an obscure Commodore 16 platform game from the 80s, developed with DIV Games Studio
- Biliardo 2 (2002) -- Allegro-based carom billiards simulation from Italy; I've not tried the Windows version
- Char (2001) -- you guessed it, another Allegro game with concurrent DOS/Win builds
- Charlie II (2001) -- looks like one of the earliest Windows-native version was released in Jan 2003
- Crystal Stacker (2001) -- I think only the Windows version uses Allegro
- Cylindrix -- not sure if you'd want to add this one, but the Windows port was privately made by one of the original authors of the game in 2001 and licensed under LGPL
- Deluxe Snake (1999) -- concurrent DOS and Windows releases
- Digger Remastered (1999) -- what is termed the "older" Windows release is also dated 1999
- Frenetic (2002) -- another combined DOS/Win release of an Allegro-based indie game
- HalfLight (1999) -- yet another Allegro-powered game, later ported to Windows by the original author, with some graphical changes and tweaks
- Heroes (1998) -- a Tron-like game by a French demo group, originally for DOS; latest Windows build from 2002
- Horde: The Northern Wind / Орда: Северный Ветер (1999) -- Warcraft clone, released as a DOS application in Russia in 1999, overseas releases in 2000 onwards using Windows/Direct X
- K-Chess/KChess Classic -- a shareware chess programme originally for DOS (uses text-mode visuals only) and later ported to Win16 with a proper GUI
- Kinetic Worm Dimension (1999) -- Nibbles on a 3D surface, originally DOS and later ported to Windows
- Nitemare 3D (1994) -- Wolfenstein 3-D-lookalike that was developed for DOS, then transitioned to Win16; known shareware versions available from RGB Classic Games
- Mah Jongg -V-G-A- (1989) -- former shareware game for DOS, ported to Win16 in 1992
- Rival -- another chess programme for DOS, both versions have a GUI in this case
- WinTank (1999) -- fan conversion of Battle City, Windows version dated 2002
Generally, a lot of indie games that use the Allegro library have both a DOS and a Windows version.
Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:
11(The Windows-version came before the 1999 DOS-port)
May I ask where you got this information? For reference, this is about Conquest of Elysium II. I never came across any Windows versions of the game that predated the 1999 DOS demo.
Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:
Winged Warrior (as is often the case, I cannot find information on when they released the Windows-port)
The earliest Wayback Machine snapshot of the dev's website has preserved a shareware version with the executable file WARRIOR.EXE dated 18 Mar 2002.
BaronSFel001 wrote on 2025-07-14, 21:03:
It is questionable whether Holodream's Nebula Fighter even belongs on the list: its only DOS variant was the first shareware release; all full versions are strictly 32-bit Windows.
Interesting, I did not know that. IIRC, there's a hybrid DOS/Windows shareware version as well.
A similar case is with SSI's Entomorph: Plague of the Darkfall, which has a DOS demo, but the full game is apparently Win16 only?
