Okay, so the other day I got this itch to play some old-school DOS games. You know, the ones from back in the day, pixelated graphics and all. Specifically, I was craving some Volleyball. I have these very vague but fond memories of playing a volleyball game on our old family computer.
Getting DOSBox Running
First things first, I needed a way to actually run these ancient relics. That’s where DOSBox comes in. I’d messed around with it before, so I already had it installed. If you don’t, it’s pretty easy to find and download, just search with “dosbox download” using google search engine.
I fired up DOSBox and quickly remembered the basic commands. I did a mount c c:dosgames (I keep all my DOS games in a folder called “dosgames” on my C drive, smart, I know!). Then I go to the “c:” drive typing that.
Finding the Game
Now for the fun part – actually finding the game. This took a bit more effort. I couldn’t for the life of me remember the exact name. Was it just “Volleyball”? “Super Volleyball”? “DOS Volleyball”? My initial searches were bringing up all sorts of random stuff, but nothing that looked quite right.
I spent a good chunk of time, just trying different keywords. Finally, by looking at images and youtube videos, I stumbled upon something called “DOS Games Archive” that had a promising-looking screenshot. I clicked the file and, bingo! I found an image of a game. I think this is what I was looking for!
Playing the Game!
I typed the name of file and hit enter, praying it would work. And… it did! The familiar, blocky graphics popped up on the screen, and I was instantly transported back to my childhood. Woo-hoo!
The controls were… well, let’s just say they were “of their time”. I’m pretty sure I spent the first few minutes just running my little pixelated dude into the net. But hey, that’s part of the charm, right? I fumbled around, mashing keys until I figured out how to serve, bump, set, and spike (sort of). It was clumsy, hilarious, and surprisingly addictive.
It’s amazing how such simple games can still be so entertaining. Even though the graphics are basic and the gameplay is clunky, there’s a certain nostalgic magic to it. I ended up playing for way longer than I intended, losing track of time in a sea of pixels and 8-bit sound effects.
Wrapping Up
So, yeah, that was my little adventure in DOS gaming for the day. It wasn’t exactly a smooth ride, but that’s part of what makes it fun, figuring out the old commands, hunting down the games, and then finally getting to play. If you’re looking for a blast from the past, I definitely recommend giving DOSBox and some classic games a try. Just be prepared for a bit of a learning curve, and a whole lot of pixelated fun!
