Skunk: it's going to run like crap. DOS is old, yes, but DOSBox isn't the most efficient thing in the world, and on a netbook with a more demanding game, you're much more likely to notice this first-hand. Be happy you're not trying to play Blood! XD
Qbix: This seems to be a common misconception.
DOSBox doesn't emulate "just DOS", it emulates an "entire PC + DOS".
When did I say DOSBox "emulates just DOS"? When did I even bring up any specifics as to what DOSBox even
is? That's beyond the scope of this topic. DOSBox
is inefficient. It's an absolutely remarkable project, but it is complex by nature, and requires exponentially greater hardware to run Duke Nukem 3D than an older computer capable of playing Duke Nukem 3D.
taqeelaSunrise: Yeah.. That's a great idea.. dumping eDuke to the Duke3D folder! I'll stick with that and avoid getting more Dosbox titles. Thanks everyone!
Now don't do that! DOSBox is still great for netbook gaming. You just need to be careful. Wolfenstein 3D runs flawlessly, but you'll probably want to rule out first-person shooters that don't have source ports. Thankfully, that's pretty rare. Even Blake Stone gave me trouble. Dark Forces ran surprisingly well, though.
Some games need a little tweaking. Tex Murphy can be a bit choppy, but I seemed to be able to sort all that out, and it's fantastic. Master of Magic is perfect. Master of Orion 2 likes to be slow on the title screen every once in a while for some reason, but it's otherwise perfect. Few platformers will ever give you trouble. Superfrog, Rayman Forever, Duke Nukem 1 and 2, Commander Keen, Bio Menace, Dangerous Dave, and so on... they're all great to play on a netbook. DOSBox's gamepad mapping can be troublesome and cumbersome. Windows users can try JoyToKey. There's a Linux variant, but I personally prefer QJoyPad for that.
X-Com: UFO Defense is the ideal netbook game. Heroes of Might and Magic II runs great, too. Conversely, Eador, a native Windows game, has problems. Oh, it runs fine in Wine for me, but the thing is that it runs at 1024x768. No more, no less. That's a nuisance for netbook users running at 1024x600. There are ways around it, but it's less than ideal. With DOSBox games, you usually don't have any resolution worries, and most of them run great on netbooks.
Just use your best judgement. Any later 90's DOS games, especially with flashy effects like the "2.5D" of first-person shooters, you might want to look around or ask. Don't boycott all DOSBox games on your netbook, or you'll regret it!
