INTRODUCTION
Besides computers and tech, it generally comes natural to have a fond interest of gaming, at least for me. While Nintendo GameCube and GameBoy Advance was a huge part of my upbringing, and still is with the banging games on Nintendo Switch, my initial foray into gaming actually began with our family computer running Windows 98. I have vivid memories here as a five year old kid playing various obscure CD-ROM games such as Lego Loco, Moomin, Pippi Longstocking, Woodii, a majority of them developed by former Swedish gaming companies dissolved since long.
Even before I knew I would work professionally within IT, around the 2010’s, the realization hit that being able to play these older games again are a hassle. Newer processor architecture, modern operating systems not supporting 16-bit applications anymore and you bet that the demand of remastering these abandoned games are next to non-existent.
You see, it was this specific conundrum that made me even touch upon the subject of virtualization for the first time. So essentially at the age of 13, I did indeed dabble with VirtualBox and running a Windows 98 VM all for the sake of experiencing gaming nostalgia. Boy, if only teenage me knew what was in the works…
Sentimentality aside, this itch of re-playing these bizarre games recently came back to me this autumn and apparently this is more straightforward nowadays. So here’s what I’m thinking, why not share an outline of my personal Windows 98 VM setup used for old-school gaming? Perhaps you’ll visit your family during the forthcoming holidays, rediscovering your old PC games and want to actually experience the warm hug of nostalgia?