Simcity2000GOG.com -- short for Good Old Games -- has brought 50 older PC gaming titles to OS X, many on the modern Mac OS for the first time.

The games include Sim City 2000 (for only $2.99), Syndicate ($5.99), Wing Commander ($5.99) and the Ultima series ($5.99).

GOG.com is probably not a name familiar to many Mac users, but it's been around for years selling classic and out-of-date games on Windows. The Loop has more:

GOG.com, originally Good Old Games, has been around for the last four years, and originally made a name for itself offering Windows users a way to buy and download vintage games that have long since gone out of circulation, relying on emulation and other similar technology to work. The company licenses titles from a variety of publishers and is zeroing in on 500 titles in their catalog.

Sim City 2000, as an example, runs in an self-contained emulated DOS environment with seemingly no hiccups. The company says the original 50 games are just the beginning, promising to bring more games to the Mac in the future.

Top Rated Comments

Unggoy Murderer Avatar
149 months ago
Sim City 3000 and I'll carry their babies.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
crazy dave Avatar
149 months ago
FYI, these are using the Mac OS X port of DOSBox.

This is an emulator- though it's more akin to virtualization since DOSBox's core is bloody fast (if you want the technical details, DOSBox supports something called "dynamic recompilation" or DRC- so as far as emulation goes, it doesn't get any faster then this).

IMHO; if you want to enjoy good old DOS games- then you should really use Boxer (boxerapp.com) instead. It's a true Mac OS X port of DOSBox in that it comes with a native Cocoa UI (and a nice one at that). Boxer basically lets you install your DOS games into "boxes" that you can double-click from the Finder and automatically launch.

So I guess the end result is the same, either way you're running stuff in an emulator. The games from GOG are just pre-packaged in a custom version of DOSBox, if you go the route of Boxer instead then you get a nicer user interface and a while bunch of extras (like Roland MT-32 emulation).

-SC
GOG is using Boxer - you can check inside the package and you'll see that GOG is using a standalone version of Boxer for their games. :)

You of course can still transfer the GOG files to the core Boxer app on your machine easily enough. :)


----------

The Mac version was vastly superior to the DOS and Windows versions, due to using real music, instead of MIDI, so when the Eagle Screamed in the song, it really came through.

TEG
Unfortunately old Mac versions are a little more difficult to get running on modern machines even running MacOS X. :)

Which sometimes is a shame because once in awhile the Mac port would indeed be better than the original PC/Amiga version. But you can still play some really awesome games from back in the day!

----------

that would be sweet. i could really re-live my early days.
It will very likely be added - 50 games to start with, DOSBox and ScummVM games will probably be added over time as they make sure they have the right to sell those games for the Mac. Ensuring compatibility probably won't be too much of a problem. Even though it is not officially sold for the Mac, the version GOG sells will work on the Mac with only limited hassle, so you can still buy it and get it working without much issue (real trouble is getting the game files out of the Windows installer, but after that it is easy with Boxer).



----------

I have been buying from GOG for years. Keep in mind what you but is DRM free and you don't need a client connected to the web like Steam. GOG uses dosbox and scummvm. Both can be obtained free. If you own the CDs/floppies you can do this yourself. However GOG makes it very easy for only pennies. Plus they give you tons of extras like manuals, backgrounds, mp3s, etc. they have sales every week and have been known to offer free games from time to time. They are also part of the family that made The Withcher.
I second this post - I have almost entirely positive experience with GOG as well. Highly recommended people look at the catalog - even for games that aren't officially Mac compatible, you can still buy from GOG and chances are good you'll get the game working on your Mac. There are lists of games which people have gotten working on the mac and helpful forumers who will help you to do it!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cp96alumni Avatar
149 months ago
I have been buying from GOG for years. Keep in mind what you but is DRM free and you don't need a client connected to the web like Steam. GOG uses dosbox and scummvm. Both can be obtained free. If you own the CDs/floppies you can do this yourself. However GOG makes it very easy for only pennies. Plus they give you tons of extras like manuals, backgrounds, mp3s, etc. they have sales every week and have been known to offer free games from time to time. They are also part of the family that made The Withcher.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SLFGNR8 Avatar
149 months ago
What no King's Quest?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ScottishCaptain Avatar
149 months ago
FYI, these are using the Mac OS X port of DOSBox.

This is an emulator- though it's more akin to virtualization since DOSBox's core is bloody fast (if you want the technical details, DOSBox supports something called "dynamic recompilation" or DRC- so as far as emulation goes, it doesn't get any faster then this).

IMHO; if you want to enjoy good old DOS games- then you should really use Boxer (boxerapp.com) instead. It's a true Mac OS X port of DOSBox in that it comes with a native Cocoa UI (and a nice one at that). Boxer basically lets you install your DOS games into "boxes" that you can double-click from the Finder and automatically launch.

So I guess the end result is the same, either way you're running stuff in an emulator. The games from GOG are just pre-packaged in a custom version of DOSBox, if you go the route of Boxer instead then you get a nicer user interface and a while bunch of extras (like Roland MT-32 emulation).

-SC
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wushuwannabe Avatar
149 months ago
Remember the good ol' days when you would open the box to a new game and then proceed to install from twenty 3.5" floppies?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...