VOGONS


First post, by Doomn00b

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Inspired by the threads of:

robertmo
Windows versions of DOS games list

MrFlibble
https://dosgames.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=22637

I feel these games/versions are kind of forgotten, since the DOS-versions are the ones that received emulation-support via Dosbox and re-releases via GoG and such -- but most of the versions me, and most people I knew back in the day, played, were the Windows-versions. Windows 95 was the era where I got into PC-gaming, you see. (ca 1996 I believe)

What could make this list extra useful, is, if you have played both versions, we could all add info on the potential differences between the two -- for instance, the DOS-version I (very shortly) played of Red Alert back in the day, had a much lower resolution and the GUI was different. Others have said that the only difference is that the FMV-cutscenes are not interlaced in DOS, whereas they are in Windows. So please, if you know of differences between the versions, sound off in the comments so that the list could become more informative.

If the Windows-version came later, the year is next to the name -- this year is *not* the original release-date.
Modern recreations, remasters and 3rd Party remakes are not included. I place the cut-off point at 2002.


List of games:

Afterlife
Alex the Allegator 2 (2001) 10
Alien Cabal
Assault Rigs: ATI 3D Rage Edition (1996) 0
Atlantis: The Lost Tales
Battle Chess (1991)
Battle Chess Enhanced
Big Red Racing
Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance
Bombs and Bugs (1997)
Caesar II
Call of Cthulhu: Prisoner of Ice (1998)
Capitalism Plus
Carmageddon
CART Racing
Chip's Challenge (1991)
Conquest of Elysium II (1997) 11
Command: Aces of the Deep 16
Command & Conquer Gold (1997)
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Cricket 97
Deja Vu: A Nightmare Comes True!! (1991)
Descent II
Destruction Derby 2
Disney's Aladdin (1996)
Doom (1995) 1
Dungeon Keeper
Earth 2140
Earthworm Jim: Special Edition 7
Excelsior Phase One: Lysandia (2000)
FaroCar (1997)
Fallout
Flying Corps
Flying Corps: Gold
Galactix (2000)
GTA 1
Gunmetal
Happyland Adventures
Hexen
Heroes of Might & Magic (1996)
Heroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars
HIND: The Russian Combat Helicopter Simulation
Ignition
KKnD Xtreme (1997)
King's Quest V (1992)
King's Quest VI (1993)
Lands of Lore II: Guardians of Destiny
Lemmings (1995)
LS: Legends in Sports '97 (Limited Edition) 9
Lost Vikings 2: Norse by Norsewest
MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries 2
Mirror Magic
Moraff's Escapade (1996)
Mortal Kombat 3 (1996) 13
Mortal Kombat Trilogy 14
Nebula Fighter
NetHack: Falcon's Eye (2000) 12
Oddword: Abe's Oddysee
Operation Spacehog
Panzer General (1998)
Pipe Dream (1991)
Quake (1997) 6
Rally Challenge
Raptor: Call of the Shadows (1999)
Rob Blanc II: Planet of the Pasteurised Pestilence
Rob Blanc III: The Temporal Terrorists
Rocks 'N' Diamonds
Sint Nicolaas (1999)
SimCity Classic
SimCity 2000
Simon the Sorcerer (2002)
Simon the Sorcerer II
Simon the Sorcerer I & II (compilation, 1998)
SLASH'EM (2000)
Star Wars: TIE Fighter - Collector's CD-ROM (1998) 17
Star Wars: X-Wing - Collector's CD-ROM (1998) 17
Su-27 Flanker
Super Tetris
SWIV 3D
Terroid (1997)
Tetris Classic
Tetris Gold
The Last Express
The Lion King (1996)
The Need for Speed: Special Edition
The 7th Guest (1997)
The Software Toolworks' Star Wars Chess
Titans of Steel (2000)
Tomb Raider 4
Triple Play 97
Virtual Pool
Warcraft II: Battle.net Edition (1999)
Williams Arcade Classics (1996)
Wing Commander: Kilrathi Saga 3
Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom 15
Wizardry 7
Wizardry Gold
XInvaders 3D
X-Wing: Collector Series
Z 5
Zork Nemesis
Zyclunt/Blade Warrior

Questionable ones:
-----------------

Space Hulk (can't find any info on whether "Vengeance of the Blood Angels" includes the original 1993 game as well, or not)
Space Hulk: Vengeance of the Blood Angels (see above...)
Magic Boy (just a windows-installer?)
Bubble Puzzle 97 (I can't find any official proof that the DOS-version *officially* exists??)
Iter Vehemens ad Necem (IVAN) (I cannot find any evidence that the Windows-version existed in the games first few years -- release of MS-DOS was 2001.)
Mr.Boom (can't find evidence of the existence of a win-port...)
Rock 'n' Spin (no evidence of a win-version)
Tetris Queen (released in 1999, but I can't find any info on when the Windows-version came out...)
Winged Warrior (as is often the case, I cannot find information on when they released the Windows-port)
Descent 1 (The only known windows-port seems to be 2014? )

Notes:
-------
0 (OEM-exclusive version of Assault Rigs which utilized the proprietary ATi 3D Rage API)
1(Doom95, was started by a team under Gabe Newell of Half-Life and Steam fame. It differs in that it has a launcher which allows the user to select episode, difficulty, map, and extra options)
6(GLQuake, WinQuake - these versions were available through compilation-disks and via digital download)
2(This is actually many different versions, with dedicated rendering and features for the many different proprietary 3D-standards that every GPU-manufacturer had)
3(Win95 ports of WC1 and 2, not sure about the 3rd game)
4(The version made for ATI video cards (TombATI) is a Windows executable, unknown release-date)
5 (Windows 95 re-release with a map editor and more missions called Z95)
7(The Windows port is based on the SEGA CD version, and not on the DOS-version)
8(Mouse movement is improved on Windows, and the game can be set to higher refresh rates)
9(This limited edition, released the same year as the original Links 97, had a windows-version included)
10(This was released BEFORE the DOS-port.)
11(The Windows-version came before the 1999 DOS-port)
12(This is an expanded version of Nethack 3.0, with SVGA graphics and audio)
13(MK3 Win is, unlike the DOS-port, based on the PSX version)
14(Trilogy on Windows provides different (Windows-like) UI options.)
15 (WC4 on Windows came in 3 versions: CD-version similar to DOS, a single-sided & a double-sided DVD-release. The double-sided has hi-quality video & required a video-decoding card at the time)
16 (Enhanced Aces with: new textures, higher SVGA resolution, a voice command functionality, adds voice acting in English & German & the option to fire the deck gun manually. )
17 (Xwing and Tie Fighter use the "Xwing vs Tie Fighter" -engine which supports 3d accelerated textured models & redbook audio instead of the midi-audio of the Dos games.)

Last edited by Doomn00b on 2025-06-30, 13:59. Edited 14 times in total.

Reply 1 of 14, by dr_st

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I think Descent 1 and Lost Vikings 2 also had Windows versions. Not sure about the differences from the DOS ones.

For MK3 and MKT differences DOS v Windows - I think the following Kombat Kolumns entry is very informative. Essentially, MK3 DOS is its own port, MK3 Windows is an almost direct port of the PSX. As for Trilogy, both port the gameplay of the PSX, but the Windows version provides different (Windows-like) UI options.

https://cloakedthargoid.wordpress.com/ - Random content on hardware, software, games and toys

Reply 2 of 14, by leileilol

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Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:

1(Doom95, was Valves first commercial game, and one of the first DirectX-games)

Valve was not involved. The porters also later did Hexen (and credited as WildTangent, who'd later make browser plugin games). Also it came out many months after the first DirectX games (Locus was 1995 for example).

Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:

6(GLQuake, WinQuake - these versions were only available through compilation-disks and )

These were very available electronically. id software had them on their public ftp since they existed, and also later Activision rereleases of Quake had bundled them.

apsosig.png
long live PCem

Reply 3 of 14, by SScorpio

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leileilol wrote on 2025-06-27, 17:36:
Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:

1(Doom95, was Valves first commercial game, and one of the first DirectX-games)

Valve was not involved. The porters also later did Hexen (and credited as WildTangent, who'd later make browser plugin games). Also it came out many months after the first DirectX games (Locus was 1995 for example).

WildTangent was Alex St. John who was one of the creators of WinG and later DirectX.

Gabe Newell was a programmer and later technical executive on Windows at Microsoft. So no Valve wasn't involved as it didn't exist yet. Gabe and Mike Harrington would leave Microsoft a year later to found Valve.

Gabe supposedly was the one who contacted iD and convinced them to let Microsoft do a Windows port for free.

The Doom95 port was originally head by Gabe when they were targeting WinG, but Alex took the reigns and completed it when it was finished on DirectX.

Rusel DeMaria's Game of X books are an interesting read going into the history of Microsoft and gaming. The first volume centers around Seamus Blackley and the creation of the original Xbox. And the second volumes goes back futher in time covering the creation of DirectX itself. Alex St. John was a very interesting character.

Reply 4 of 14, by akula65

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Here are a couple more entries:

Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Papyrus Design Group
Title: CART Racing
From the CD:

CART Racing for Windows95 […]
Show full quote

CART Racing for Windows95

Papyrus Design Group, 1996.

************************************************************************
CD Contents :

There are three versions of CART Racing on the CD : Rendition, Windows95, and
DOS. The minimum requirements for the DOS version are a 486-33 with 8 mb of
RAM and MS-DOS version 5 or higher. The Windows95 version requires a
Pentium-60 or higher with 16 mb or RAM . Owners of slower machines may
consider installing and running the DOS version.
************************************************************************

Publisher: LucasArts
Developer: LucasArts
Title: Afterlife

The CD-ROM has separate setup and executables for DOS and Win95.

Edit: Wing Commander CIC has a description of the DOS and Windows releases of Wing Commander IV: https://www.wcnews.com/background/wing-commander-4.shtml

2nd Edit:
Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Dynamix
Title: Aces of the Deep/Command: Aces of the Deep

Aces of the Deep was originally released as a DOS title. Command: Aces of the Deep was a Windows only upgrade of the game. This Subsim review enumerates the additional features of the Windows version.

Last edited by akula65 on 2025-06-28, 09:14. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 5 of 14, by Doomn00b

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dr_st wrote on 2025-06-27, 17:17:

I think Descent 1 and Lost Vikings 2 also had Windows versions. Not sure about the differences from the DOS ones.

For MK3 and MKT differences DOS v Windows - I think the following Kombat Kolumns entry is very informative. Essentially, MK3 DOS is its own port, MK3 Windows is an almost direct port of the PSX. As for Trilogy, both port the gameplay of the PSX, but the Windows version provides different (Windows-like) UI options.

Interesting! Big cheers for this info, I will update the list. 😀

leileilol wrote on 2025-06-27, 17:36:
Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:

1(Doom95, was Valves first commercial game, and one of the first DirectX-games)

Valve was not involved. The porters also later did Hexen (and credited as WildTangent, who'd later make browser plugin games). Also it came out many months after the first DirectX games (Locus was 1995 for example).

Oh interesting, reading more closely into it I see that only the shareware-version came out in 1995, the full game wasn't out until 1996. Huh! I assumed that they would have had it be a launch-title for DirectX, what with the big hoopla' they made with the presentation. I will of course correct this.

It seems like I was a bit confused by the fact that this was one of Gabe Newell's first professional game-projects -- he led the initial team that started work on the port, apparently.
https://doomwiki.org/wiki/Doom95#History
But one man does not make a Valve. I will change the note.

leileilol wrote on 2025-06-27, 17:36:
Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:

6(GLQuake, WinQuake - these versions were only available through compilation-disks and )

These were very available electronically. id software had them on their public ftp since they existed, and also later Activision rereleases of Quake had bundled them.

It seems like I accidentally cut away the part (after "and"), where I wrote that they were available via the internet... :{ But I will fix it! 😀
Are the Activision Re-Releases of Quake actually physical new editions with their own box-art and stuff? 😳 Or do they fall under the compilations and such, that I already wrote originally?

Reply 6 of 14, by lolo799

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Lemmings for Windows .exe file dates from 04/1995 in the Japanese release and 01/1996 in the european version, copyright date on the game cover is 1995 for both.
It runs in win3.1 with win32s and winG.

Windoom also runs under win3.1 with those add-ons. First beta that was released was dated june 1994, last release was june 1995.

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Reply 7 of 14, by Doomn00b

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SScorpio wrote on 2025-06-27, 18:00:
WildTangent was Alex St. John who was one of the creators of WinG and later DirectX. […]
Show full quote
leileilol wrote on 2025-06-27, 17:36:
Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-27, 14:01:

1(Doom95, was Valves first commercial game, and one of the first DirectX-games)

Valve was not involved. The porters also later did Hexen (and credited as WildTangent, who'd later make browser plugin games). Also it came out many months after the first DirectX games (Locus was 1995 for example).

WildTangent was Alex St. John who was one of the creators of WinG and later DirectX.

Gabe Newell was a programmer and later technical executive on Windows at Microsoft. So no Valve wasn't involved as it didn't exist yet. Gabe and Mike Harrington would leave Microsoft a year later to found Valve.

Gabe supposedly was the one who contacted iD and convinced them to let Microsoft do a Windows port for free.

The Doom95 port was originally head by Gabe when they were targeting WinG, but Alex took the reigns and completed it when it was finished on DirectX.

Rusel DeMaria's Game of X books are an interesting read going into the history of Microsoft and gaming. The first volume centers around Seamus Blackley and the creation of the original Xbox. And the second volumes goes back futher in time covering the creation of DirectX itself. Alex St. John was a very interesting character.

Ey, cheers for this extra information. It helped explain a lot of things actually -- the "Game of X" books seem like solid resources!

akula65 wrote on 2025-06-27, 19:02:
Here are a couple more entries: […]
Show full quote

Here are a couple more entries:

Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Papyrus Design Group
Title: CART Racing
From the CD:

CART Racing for Windows95 […]
Show full quote

CART Racing for Windows95

Papyrus Design Group, 1996.

************************************************************************
CD Contents :

There are three versions of CART Racing on the CD : Rendition, Windows95, and
DOS. The minimum requirements for the DOS version are a 486-33 with 8 mb of
RAM and MS-DOS version 5 or higher. The Windows95 version requires a
Pentium-60 or higher with 16 mb or RAM . Owners of slower machines may
consider installing and running the DOS version.
************************************************************************

Publisher: LucasArts
Developer: LucasArts
Title: Afterlife

The CD-ROM has separate setup and executables for DOS and Win95.

Edit: Wing Commander CIC has a description of the DOS and Windows releases of Wing Commander IV: https://www.wcnews.com/background/wing-commander-4.shtml

2nd Edit:
Publisher: Sierra
Developer: Dynamix
Title: Aces of the Deep/Command: Aces of the Deep

Aces of the Deep was originally released as a DOS title. Command: Aces of the Deep was a Windows only upgrade of the game. This Subsim review enumerates the additional features of the Windows version.

Big cheers for this info mate! 😀 I'm adding it to the list ASAP.

Extra sweet with the WC-CIC article btw.

lolo799 wrote on 2025-06-28, 08:52:

Lemmings for Windows .exe file dates from 04/1995 in the Japanese release and 01/1996 in the european version, copyright date on the game cover is 1995 for both.
It runs in win3.1 with win32s and winG.

Windoom also runs under win3.1 with those add-ons. First beta that was released was dated june 1994, last release was june 1995.

Yoo, Lemmings was real all along! You actually did a really cool thing here, because information on this port is pretty scarce. Thank you for helping out.

Reply 8 of 14, by BEEN_Nath_58

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Lemmings for Windows had file dates of the 90s, but I can't remember who released it

previously known as Discrete_BOB_058

Reply 9 of 14, by lolo799

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Check the Lemmings covers below.

The Win9x versions of Xwing and Tie Fighter use the Xwing vs Tie Fighter engine which supports 3d accelerated textured models and redbook audio instead of the Imuse midi system of the Dos games.

Call of Cthulhu Prisoner of Ice came in two versions, the Dos one has two executables, one for svga 640*480 and one for 320*200.
The Windows version has the 640*480 Dos .exe on the disc.

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Reply 10 of 14, by Doomn00b

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lolo799 wrote on 2025-06-28, 11:34:
Check the Lemmings covers below. […]
Show full quote

Check the Lemmings covers below.

The Win9x versions of Xwing and Tie Fighter use the Xwing vs Tie Fighter engine which supports 3d accelerated textured models and redbook audio instead of the Imuse midi system of the Dos games.

Call of Cthulhu Prisoner of Ice came in two versions, the Dos one has two executables, one for svga 640*480 and one for 320*200.
The Windows version has the 640*480 Dos .exe on the disc.

Thank you! 😀 This is some good info, and I'm updating the list as we speak.

Just for clarification -- you're saying that CoC: PoI Windows-version DOESN'T run in 640*480, but in the lower resolution? And it just so happens to include the high-rez DOS-exe as an extra. So the Win-version can't actually *itself* run in SVGA modes?

Reply 11 of 14, by lolo799

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Doomn00b wrote on 2025-06-29, 14:48:

Thank you! 😀 This is some good info, and I'm updating the list as we speak.

Just for clarification -- you're saying that CoC: PoI Windows-version DOESN'T run in 640*480, but in the lower resolution? And it just so happens to include the high-rez DOS-exe as an extra. So the Win-version can't actually *itself* run in SVGA modes?

The Windows version runs in 640*480 or 960*720, and only in a window, not fullscreen.

It uses the WinG32.dll, so pre directx but it checks the Windows version and won't run on anything earlier than Win95.
It works fine in Windows 10.

And it has the dos 640*480 exe on disc, also printed on the disc it says "designed for Win95" and "Dos compatible".
The copyright date on the disc is 1997.

The Dos version has both 640 and 320 executables along with svga and vga resource files.

Last edited by lolo799 on 2025-06-29, 20:29. Edited 3 times in total.

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Reply 12 of 14, by Calvero

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The Even More! Incredible Machine
Sid & Al's Incredible Toons / The Incredible Toon Machine

Reply 13 of 14, by chinny22

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Command & Conquer Gold (1997)
Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Dos is locked at 320 x 200
Win allows 640 x 480 ( or higher if you manually modify the ini file)
Windows cutscenes are interlaced
Minimap in Windows can show more. (Very useful on RA's Mega maps)
Sidebar icons match units profile from the manual.

GTA1
Now includes TCP/IP for network play

Warcraft 2
Fixes scroll speed issue on faster PC's
Now includes TCP/IP for network play
Other UI enhnacments https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Warcraft_II: … tle.net_Edition

Raptor: Call of the Shadows
"Slightly improved graphics and audio"
Force feedback support
Windows version has a major bug where keyboard control is half the speed vs Dos and mouse control doesnt allow you to go to the edge of the screen

Simcity 2000
Improved UI and Higher screen resolutions

Reply 14 of 14, by lolo799

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I forgot to mention the differences between the Dos and Windows native version of Prisoner of Ice:
-the Dos version uses a proprietary .mux format for the videos while the Windows version uses videos converted into SmackPlay .smk format, with a bad dither effect noticeable on some of them.

-there is a full screen colour shifting effect present in the Dos version in the first act of the game when the submarine is in red alert, it shows during gameplay and in non interactive character's face close-ups scenes.
In the Windows version, the red alert bulb is shown as shifting on and off but the rest of the screen is not affected by it.

-you can choose between midi and digital audio music in the Dos version, the Windows version only offers midi music.

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