DOSBox and Android [How-to]

[tanarax]

How to get work old DOS games on Android
First we need Android version of DOSBox. Currently on Google play we can find several dosbox ports. Less or more better, some are good, some crashes. I'll describe here Magic Dosbox, because I like it. Unlike others, this version is still actively developed and with special control system makes DOS games perfectly playable on touchscreen based devices. This port arrives with two version : free and donated(full). In full version is possible to use all virtual controls and to have unlimited number of games in collection. But controls like a virtual keyboard keys, virtual mouse buttons or virtual buttons for working with special functions (like show keyboard) are present in free version and is not necessary pay for advanced version. Good is that these virtual buttons can be freely resized, moved and styled.

Program is divided to two parts. First part is main menu or collection. Here we add our game profiles. Every game profile is simplified dosbox config - it's not necessary start game from command line. While it's not perfect at 100%, it allows major part of games to be started without entering any command. Pressing on added game will start dosbox and may start game automatically - depends on settings in game profile.

I include here some screenshots how can be the user interface styled:
<div>
<a href="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... .png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-16" src="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... t_01_s.png" alt="Screenshot_01" width="270" height="150"></a>
<a href="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... .png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-16" src="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... t_03_s.png" alt="Screenshot_03" width="270" height="150"></a>
<a href="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... .png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-16" src="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... t_04_s.png" alt="Screenshot_04" width="270" height="150"></a>
<a href="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... .png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-16" src="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... t_05_s.png" alt="Screenshot_05" width="270" height="150"></a>
<a href="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... .png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-16" src="http://magicbox.imejl.sk/wp-content/upl ... t_14_s.png" alt="Screenshot_14" width="270" height="150"></a>
</div>

Video guides

How to use virtual key widget
Doom
Albion
Shadow warrior
Spellcross - The last battle
TES - Arena
Styling Fallout 1 on Android
Fallout 1 installation guide
How to use custom fonts
How to set custom game size and position
Dungeon Keeper 1 on Android!


Please ask me if I forgot at something:)

[EDIT]
[20161022] Added Dungeon Keeper 1 video guide

[tanarax]

Windows 95 Games in Magic Dosbox

While support for win95 is in Dosbox not recommended and not so well supported, it's possible. It requires really strong device and game files must be copied to virtual harddisk. For people who are interested I created video guide. It has three parts.

Part 1 Installing win95 in VirtualBox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg0PAmwgB2s

Part 2 Fialization on Android
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RgCw7Xnnnk

Part 3 : Fallout 2 installation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh_AO47bl8A

Less heavy games like a Neverhood or Fallout 2 work fine, most heavy games requires strong device. Some of these games were tested on Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge:
Tomb Raider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW91xTd49aU

Commandos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlBw58xXc-U

Diablo 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46R_EAW8dsc

Half-life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAr5u7fgR5o

Might and Magic 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33qxL2Sekxs[/u]

[tanarax]

Hello,

I created more videos:

How to re-design old MS-DOS games in Magic DOSBox for Android
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgnfwE2z0b0

Redesigned Dungeon Master 2 on Android
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MasuIm4-JKM