MS-DOS gaming on an Asus Terminator Tualatin (2001) and why I prefer console gaming
Hi everyone!
Let me start by stating that I appreciate a 21 year old desktop PC is probably only just on the cusp of being classed as a "retro" device.
However, the experiences on this device are truly 90's. You'll see how as this blog progresses.
No prizes for guessing why I have a old(ish) desktop PC with a name of Terminator in the title.
However, my acquiring of this PC was actually stumbled upon by chance.
Whilst searching for Terminator goodies on www.buyee.jp, I found an auction for this PC. Starting at 1 yen was enticing enough, but to realise that it was still sealed in its original box sealed the deal.
I had a little competition but I ended up winning the auction for the incredibly modest sum of 131 yen (about AUD1.50 or 80p) back in December 2020.
With shipping and all the fees, it cost me about AUD120 (GBP70).
When it arrived, I was glad to see the PSU was multi-voltage, so no need for a voltage converter.
I had a quick read through the instruction manual to see that it could have Windows XP downloaded onto the hard drive, but I ended up using a Windows 98 SE CD-ROM as I wanted to primarily use it for retro gaming. Windows 98 allows you to boot up directly into MS-DOS where this option is lost using XP.
Windows 98 installed in about 10 minutes. I used to remember it taking what seemed like forever to install back in the 90's. This was a good indicator that the processor was pretty quick for dealing with older software.
Hearing the Windows 98 start-up theme was a real hit of nostalgia.
The first thing I wanted to do was install the original Terminator MS-DOS game from Bethesda Softworks in 1991. Then came my first realisation on how much easier it is to use a modern PC nowadays.
The Asus has USB ports so my first thought was to copy the game files from a USB drive directly onto the C: drive. It wasn't recognised. USB flash drives weren't really a thing in the late 90's, so there's no support for them within Windows 98. A little bit frustrating, but then I am dealing with period specific technology, so I have to accept the limitations that come with that.
I ended up burning the files onto a blank CD-R and using the DVD-ROM drive. DVD was really starting to get popular when this PC was made. Most PCs at the time were just using CD-ROM drives, so again this was another indication that this was a decent PC for the era.
Restarting Windows into MS-DOS, I used the INSTALL command once I had gotten into the folder I had stored the game files.
Please specify the destination path that you wish to install "THE TERMINATOR" to, for example:
install c:\term This will install to drive "C:" directory "TERM"
OK. That seems a reasonable request. I never really did any MS-DOS gaming in the 90's as I was a console kid. I'll follow its instruction and see where it takes me.
THE TERMINATOR Hard Disk Install Utility
This program will install all "THE TERMINATOR" files into the DESTINATION specified below.
DESTINATION = c:\TERM
1 - Install EGA
2 - Install VGA
3 - QUIT
Please enter your choice : _
Umm... I don't know. What's the difference? I did a quick Google search:
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) is an IBM PC graphics adapter and de facto
Well that made it easy. The more recent VGA (Video Graphics Array) it is then.
Please enter your choice : 2
A load of program files start to install, before a harsh BEEP and the following message:
Please insert Disk 3.
Press any key to continue . . .
Where's the "Any" key? (Simpson's joke for you there)
Seeing I'm installing from files already on the C: drive, I just pressed a key to see what happens.
More files install. Another BEEP. Another message:
Please insert Disk 4.
Press any key to continue . . .
Again I press a random key.
Installation of "The Terminator" is complete.
To run the game change the drive and path to c:\TERM
then type:
TERM [ADLIB or SBLASTER]
Please read your manual. At least the sections on
"Installation and StartUp" and "Questions and Answers".
The first step was complete! I managed to install the game. Relatively painless so far. I'm assuming Disk 2 must be for when you install the EGA version of the game.
You can probably guess my next question. What's ADLIB and SBLASTER?
I found this piece of advice on a reddit page:
The Adlib card is simply a synthesizer, it can't (usually) play actual audio clips and is mostly used for background music or crude sound effects in games.
On the other hand, the Sound Blaster has an actual DAC so it can play realistic sounding audio clips and sound effects, but as a bonus, it also has the same kind of synthesizer chip built in as the Adlib card.
This means the SoundBlaster can be used to play most games that use Adlib for music and such but an Adlib card can't be used in place of a SoundBlaster.
OK. I guess SBLASTER is the way to go. But how do I run the game? Is it TERM [SBLASTER] or TERM SBLASTER? I tried the literal option TERM [SBLASTER]:
Bad argument...
Arguments are : [none | ibmsound | adlib | sblaster]
I guess if you're going to start an argument, I'll just go with TERM SBLASTER.
The game intro starts running, however, it seems like it's running too fast and there's no music.
The main menu appears with the following options:
Terminator / Reese - Let's keep it authentic and go with Reese
Full Game / Short Game - Let's go Full Game and play the way it was intended
Keyboard / Joystick - I don't have a Joystick so Keyboard it is
Real Mode / Practice - Let's dive in and keep it Real
Max / Med / Min Detail - This PC should be able to handle Max Detail
Easy / Medium / Hard - Seeing it is my first go, I went with Easy
Ratings - Gives you your stats like Shots Fired, Shots Hit and Body Count
Quit - I've only just got here!
Load / Play Game - I don't have a saved game so let's Play Game
A picture of The Terminator appears with the message:
Select Symbol
Sector Across: 20
Sector Down: 9
24 hieroglyphs appear on the left hand side of the screen.
This was 1991's way of copy protecting games. The original game came with a grid of hieroglyphs on a dark red page, which apparently was extremely difficult to photocopy.
The version I have is supposed to bypass this, so I just selected the pre-selected symbol.
Nothing. I wait a bit, but it appears the game has crashed. I have no other option but to turn off the computer and try again.
So after a LOT of tinkering, I finally get the game to start. It seems running the game with TERM ADLIB or SBLASTER seems to crash the game at the symbol selection screen.
You have to literally just use TERM and it will run fine, albeit with no music. I didn't have any in the first place so nothing's lost there.
The game's graphics are very dated, but in 1991 it was not bad. You're in a HUGE 3D world of simulated Los Angeles (approximately 10 x 6 miles or 16 x 10 kilometres).
You can buy or steal supplies from different stores, including seemingly inconsequential things like "Intruder" condoms and tampons as well as the expected items like an AK47 and ammo.
You can even steal cars and with the manual transmission cars, you need to use a clutch to change the gear! I've heard people state this this is 1991's Grand Theft Auto.
In a lot of ways the game runs great on the Asus. The fast processor means that the game runs too quickly, but watching videos on YouTube that seems to be a good thing. It seems pretty slow in real speed.
I didn't end of destroying the Terminator. Instead I got animations of both Reese and Sarah being shot and a message stating that the machines destroy mankind and take over the world.
SCORE 5/10
I then try other Terminator games from Bethesda, with varying results:
The Terminator 2029 (1992)
Fully animated intros and mission briefings, using voice actors, really set the story.
The game plays as a First Person Shooter, using a 4 direction grid system to navigate around the battlegrounds. You use the mouse to aim and shoot.
You have to complete primary missions and optional secondary missions which set up your path through the game.
There were some issues with the sound. The music starts but soon ends up freezing or not playing at all. From what I did hear of the music, it was a pretty good soundtrack setting the apocalyptic feel just right.
The Terminator: Rampage (1993)
Can I get the game to run though? Not at all.
Apparently, the game doesn't run on any Pentium based CPUs (it works on Intel i386/i486 CPUs). There is a fix online, but even with that, I couldn't get the game to run.
I have emulated the game via DOSBox and it is an FPS very similar to the more famous Wolfenstein 3D / Doom games.
The Terminator: Future Shock (1995)
The gameplay is a lot more varied, using the 360 degree movement offered from Rampage with the mission based gameplay offered in 2029.
The game runs with no issues and is obviously more compatible with the Asus than the older Terminator games.
The Terminator: Skynet (1996)
Originally supposed to be an expansion to Future Shock, it was decided to be released on its own merits.
With graphics having twice the resolution of Future Shock, the look and feel of the game is really impressive for 1996.
I feel this could have been ported to the consoles of the time (Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64) and have been an absolute hit.
The only downside is the Full Motion Video used for the mission briefings. As like many games of the period, the acting is really poor. In some ways, it's so poor it's actually kind of entertaining.
If you're going to play just one game in the Bethesda Terminator series, this is the one to go for.
SCORE: 9/10
The Bethesda Softworks Terminator Experience - Review
Releasing 5 titles during their 5 year licence, it's an interesting and varied ride playing them all.
They definitely got it right by 1995 and had almost nailed it in 1996 if it wasn't for the poor FMV acting.
The first game is ambitious and in the right spirit of the original movie but probably released a little too early. When you look at the difference in graphics just a year later with 2029 and the free movement offered with Rampage 2 years later, waiting a couple of years would have offered a really enjoyable computer game version of the movie.
However, I understand the logic as Terminator 2: Judgment Day was released in 1991 so I'm sure the dollar signs were the key driver for Bethesda with their newly acquired licence.
2029 is a great product of its time. Its unique gameplay really engrosses you into the apocalyptic environment it provides.
Rampage, whilst entirely playable, seems all too familiar to the other FPS games of the time and as such doesn't really offer anything unique. It seems like a rush job to cash in on the popularity of the similar games at the time like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom.
Thankfully, Bethesda decided to release something truly special with Future Shock and Skynet. The games were the most successful of the licence and understandably so. They took the best bits of 2029 and Rampage, added up to date graphics, developed an in-depth storyline and ended up producing some very enjoyable and challenging FPS games as a result.
So many game developers have come and gone, but Bethesda still remain. It would be fascinating to see what a newly developed Bethesda licenced Terminator game would look and play like in 2022.
The pitfalls of MS-DOS gaming
One thing I've learned about this adventure is that MS-DOS gaming is a unique experience.
There are so many variables that affect the way you experience the games.
The speed of your processor affects the speed of the game, as shown in the original Terminator game.
Then there's compatibility with sound cards. The first 2 games had sound issues.
Then the 3rd game didn't even run at all.
There's no doubt that when an MS-DOS game runs the way it should, as shown by Future Shock and Skynet, it can be a very enjoyable experience.
Yes, you can configure your PC and add hardware such as graphics and sound cards. You could configure it in such a way that your chosen game can run perfectly, just as the developers would have wanted you to.
Let's use the Terminator games for example. You configure your PC to run 1995's Future Shock to run optimally. You then want to play 1991's The Terminator. You have to reconfigure your settings and fine tune them so that it runs that game the way it's supposed to be played.
Then there's the potential costs and hassles to do that. Opening up your PC to change graphics and sound cards.
This is why I'm sticking with console gaming. Let's use the Sega Mega Drive as an example.
Now I'm not claiming these games are graphically equal or superior to the Terminator games on MS-DOS. Clearly PC gaming is going to win on that front. As mentioned earlier, Terminator: Skynet would have made a great port on the next generation consoles of the time.
My point is that in the same time period, you're using the exact same piece of hardware in the Sega Mega Drive. Of course graphics and speeds improved on the Mega Drive as the size of the RAM in the cartridges increased over that period, but the processor always remains constant. All you're doing is changing the cartridge.
No graphics card or sound card upgrades and the cost they bring. You play the game the way the developer intended and so does everybody else. There's no variation. There's no incompatibility.
If you wanted, there were the upgrades for the Mega Drive such as the Mega CD and the 32X, but even during this period, games for the stock standard 16 bit Mega Drive were still being released.
The minimum specifications for Terminator: Skynet is an Intel i486 CPU running at 66 MHz with 8MB of RAM. Whilst i486 CPUs were available in 1991, the fastest commercial PC available at the end of 1991 is apparently 50MHz. Not only would it have been prohibitively expensive to get one (thousands of dollars), it wouldn't have even been fast enough just 4 years later to play Future Shock or Skynet.
Whilst we're talking stats, the Tualatin CPU in the Asus Terminator is an Intel Celeron processor running at 1200 MHz (1.2 GHz - more than 18 times faster than the minimum speed required for Skynet) and has 240MB of RAM installed.
Ultimately, I know that I'll be heading to my Mega Drive 9 times out of 10 for my retro fix.
Comments
Post a Comment