Nintendo shook the market with the Classic Mini variants of its historic consoles. That demonstrates that nostalgic value is huge, but the truth is that many gamers out there didn't grow up with consoles but with PCs. The folks at Unit-e want to bring some of that magic to our TVs with PC Classic, a mini computer loaded with 30 MS-DOS games, fully licensed and legal.
If there is one aspect to criticize in this new wave of Classic Mini or Classic Edition consoles, it's the game selection. Enthusiasts didn't take long to hack them to add new titles, but some omissions were very big. In a couple of weeks we'll see the PlayStation Classic on shelves, and Sony finally confirmed Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Ridge Racer Type 4, Resident Evil: Director's Cut, the first Grand Theft Auto, Rainbow Six, and Twisted Metal as part of the list of 20 games that will accompany it. Not bad, but we expect a similar level of hacking. Now, is it possible to apply the same concept to retro MS-DOS games? How viable is it to take 30 of the best titles from those times, load them onto a mini computer, and announce their launch? The folks at Unit-e plan to find out with their PC Classic.
PC Classic: MS-DOS Games on Your TV
There isn't much to say technically about the PC Classic beyond what its case shows us, inspired by the old IBM PC: two USB ports on the front, one on the back, a card reader, HDMI output, RCA connectors for use with old TVs, and a power input (which we can't confirm if it's 5v). The idea is that the player uses gamepads, but nothing should prevent connecting keyboard and mouse for a more aligned experience with those retro games. In the video we can see demos of Doom, Jill of the Jungle, Commander Keen 4, and Quake II, which is much more demanding graphically.
That raises the question: What do they use as hardware in the PC Classic? Is it an ARM platform with a copy of DOSBox on top, or does it have more specialized chips? The video talks about Bluetooth connectivity, but nothing more. Instead, its developers have insisted a lot on the games: 30 in total, and they will have their corresponding license. The plan is for it to hit the market at a price of $99, although everything will depend on the result of the crowdfunding campaign. More details will be available between late November and the first days of December. Personally, I'm not so convinced. For $100 we can build/obtain a real retro computer, load MS-DOS, and make those games fly, but we'll wait anyway.
https://old.neoteo.com/winworld-sistemas-operativos-juegos-antiguos/
