UPDATE - APRIL 2026

Those who follow me may know that I have recently got a spanking new Windows 11 PC. I wasn't planning this, as I wanted to wait until Microsoft cut off European support for Windows 10 this coming October (a year later than the US as demanded by the EU consumer protection laws). Alas, my PCU died last month so I decided to bite the bullet early and scramble some money together to get a new desktop PC. 

This means that this past month has been dedicated to setting up and organizing my new desktop and checking on the compatibility of existing games on this site. That's over 150 windows-based games I've been testing (a far cry from the 8 I had to check when upgrading to Windows 10 back in 2015). I'll be detailing about where I'm at with that after the jump. Some partially work, some are broken and need more troubleshooting, and some have simple solutions that you can easily implement yourselves in the meantime before I get round to revising and updating the packing. I'm planning to get back to my regular monthly fives next month, but until then check out this updates post below.

NEW UPDATES

Firstly, let's talk about the packages I've updated. These were partially completed before the new PC as part of my erratic update strategy anyway, but the new packages are vast improvements on what was there before. See their game pages or check out the Games Updates page for a full rundown.

BLAZING DRAGONS

(PlayStation)

• Updated Retroarch

• Changed core to PSCReArmed

• Overhauled custom menu

BLAZING DRAGONS

(ScummVM)

• Updated ScummVM

HYPERBLADE

(Peixoto's Patch)

• Now uses Peixoto's Patch to run the game 

  natively instead of emulating Windows 95

  with DOSBox DAUM

• This fixes stadium texture visibility.

• Uses IMG Drive Lite to mount CD ISO to 

  allow for CD audio

• Added PDF Reference Card

• X-Input controller now supported

ROCK STAR ATE MY HAMSTER

(Retroarch + FS-UAE + STeem SSE)

• Updated FS-UAE & added FS-UAE Launcher

• Amiga now uses WHDLoad version

• Added Atari ST / STE, Commodore 64, 

  Amstrad CPC & ZX Spectrum versions

• Added "Rock Star Goes Bizarre" for C64

• Added "Millennium Edition" for C64

• Implemented X-Input support for all games

• Added a bunch of manuals

• Overhauled custom menu

You will see that these games now say "Tested on Windows 11" in the tech spiel section of their game pages. New and updated games will reference this going forward so you know which OS I was creating the package for.

WINDOWS 11 COMPATIBILITY

As for existing games, a lot of them need no update. Those that rely on emulation (such as Retroarch, FS-UAE, DOSBox or PCEm) seem to have no compatibility issues by my reckoning, though I am aiming to go through these older packages with a fine-tooth comb anyway. It's those that run directly via Windows (either natively or using programs like dgVoodoo, DXWnd or DDrawCompat) that could present the biggest issues, and indeed many do require attention. I'll present some possible universal fixes later, but the below table is my current compatibility list.

3D ULTRA MINI-GOLF DELUXE

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

3D ULTRA PINBALL: THRILLRIDE

Uses DxWnd. Game works. Videos not playing.

ABA GAMES (ALL)

Runs Natively. Noiz2sa & Tumiki Fighters don't run. Add DDrawCompat to fix issues.

ABUSE (Windows version)

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

ABYSS: INCIDENT AT EUROPA

Uses DxWnd. Crashes on intro.

ADVENTURES OF LOMAX

Uses DxWnd. All seemingly OK

A.I. WARS: THE AWAKENING

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. Seems to work better with just dgVoodoo.

ALIDA: THE ENIGMATIC GIANT

Runs Natively. All seeming OK. Requires Quicktime Lite to be installed (included).

ALIENS ONLINE

Runs Natively. Runs with pre-existing bugs. Being a bunch of abandoned online games and Betas, it was always going to be spotty. Might try with DDrawCompat or dgVoodoo.

ALIENS VS PREDATOR 2: GOLD EDITION

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK. .bat files may not work, but .exe files within the folders do.

ANIMANIACS: A GIGANTIC ADVENTURE

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay.

ANTZ: PANIC IN THE ANTHILL

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

ARA NGC-6397

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

ARCHANGEL

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

ASGHAN: THE DRAGON SLAYER

Uses NGlide / DDrawCompat. Will not run as is and program will need manually closing via Task Manager. Updating DDrawCompat fixes this.

AZUR & ASMAR

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

BAD MILK

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK. Requires Quicktime Lite to be installed (not included).

BANG: GUNSHIP ELITE

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay.

BEASTS & BUMPKINS

Uses DxWnd. All seemingly OK

BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD DO U

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

BERMUDA SYNDROME (Windows version)

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

BHUNTER

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. Crashes on launch. DDrawCompat solves issue. Requires DirectPlay

BLAIR WITCH TRILOGY (All)

Uses DDrawCompat. Not launching. Update DDrawCompat to solve.

BRAVEHEART

Uses DDrawCompat. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay

DARK SECRETS OF AFRICA

Uses DDrawCompat. Not launching. Update DDrawCompat solves issue.

DARK VENGEANCE

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

DEATH DROME

Uses DxWnd. Not Launching. Requires DirectPlay.

DEFIANCE

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK with minor issues when exiting the game. Requires DirectPlay. 

THE DEVIL INSIDE

Uses dgVoodoo. Runs too fast. Same with DDrawCompat. Limiting FPS to 15 works, but becomes choppy.

DIE HARD: NAKATOMI PLAZE

Uses DxWnd. Crashes on Launch. dgVoodoo alone seems OK, but mouse look is jittery. Requires more work.

DISCWORLD NOIR

Runs Natively with patch. All seemingly OK

DISNEY ACTIVITY CENTRE:
TOY STORY 2

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

DISNEY ALADDIN PINBALL

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

DISNEY ATLANTIS: THE LOST GAMES

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

DISNEY ATLANTIS: TRIAL BY FIRE

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay

DISNEY MAHJONGG

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

DISNEY PIGLET'S BIG GAME

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

DISNEY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN PINBALL

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

DISNEY LION KING 2: GAME BREAK

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

DISNEY LION KING: OPERATION PRIDELANDS

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

DISNEY LITTLE MERMAID PINBALL

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

DISNEY TIGGER ACTIVITY CENTRE

Uses DDrawCompat. All seemingly OK

DRAGON RIDERS: CHRONICLES OF PERN

Uses dgVoodoo. Crashes on launch. Update has no effect.

DUNE 2000

Runs Natively. Crashes upon mission briefing. Replace cnc-ddraw with DDrawCompat fixes this. Menus still small. Requires .NET Framework. OpenRA version unaffected and seemingly works OK.

EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS

Runs Natively. Runs too fast

ELIMINATOR

Uses DxWnd. All seemingly OK. Must run configure program 1st (ChamberNotes already mentions this).

RMPEROR: THE BATTLE FOR DUNE

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

ESOTERIA: TECHNO-ASSASSIN

Uses DDrawCompat. All seemingly OK

FABLE (Windows version)

Uses DxWnd. All seemingly OK

FANTASTIC 4

Uses D3D9 Wrapper. All seemingly OK

THE FIFTH ELEMENT

Uses DDrawCompat & NGlide. Black screen. Indeo video issue

FRANK HERBERT'S DUNE

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. Crashes on launch. Runs well using dgVoodoo on its own, though exiting the game requires using Alt-F4 instead of menus.

GALAPAGOS: MENDEL'S ESCAPE

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. Crashes on launch. dgVoodoo alone works well enough, but cannot access game menu bar to exit. Will try DDrawCompat.

GAST

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

GET MEDIEVAL

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

THE GREAT ESCAPE

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay

THE GUARDIAN OF DARKNESS

Uses DxWnd. Not loading

GUNMAN CHRONISCLES

Uses Xash3D Engine. All seemingly OK

HEAVY METAL: F.A.K.K. 2

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

HERETIC II

Uses Enhancement Pack. All seemingly OK

HITCHCOCK: THE FINAL CUT

Runs Natively. Crashes on launch.

I-NINJA

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

JAMES CAMERON'S TITANIC EXPLORER

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK. Requires Quicktime Lite to be installed (not included).

JAKYLL AND HYDE

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK. Resolution and control settings must be applied first.

JURASSIC PARK: OPERATION GENESIS

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

JURASSIC PARK: TRESPASSER

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

KILLER LOOP

Uses DxWnd. All seemingly OK

KISS: PSYCHO CIRCUS

Uses DDrawCompat. Minor issues. Update DDrawCompat solves them. Requires DirectPlay.

KONGA BONGA: CRAZY MONKEY PARTY

Uses dgVoodoo. All works. Opening cinematic display issue.

KRAZY IVAN

Uses DxWnd + DDrawCompat. Issues with image size. Update DDrawCompat and launch without DxWnd. Needs new way to implement music this way.

LEMMINGS REVOLUTION

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

LIFEFORCE TENKA

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

LIONHEART (Windows port)

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

MACHINES: WIRED FOR WAR

Uses Community Fork. All seemingly OK

MAGIC & MAYHEM

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

MAGIC & MAYHEM: THE ART OF WAR

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

MARTIN MYSTERE

Runs Natively. Black screen. Codec registration issue.

MISSING ON LOST ISLAND

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

MOBIL 1 RALLY CHAMPIONSHOP

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

MONSTER TRUCK MADNESS 2 + HD

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

MONTEZUMA'S RETURN

Uses DxWnd +dgVoodoo. Crashes on launch. Works well with dgVoodoo only (launch "./DxWnd/MZR\wmonte.exe" or "./DxWnd/MZR\gwmonte.exe")

MOURIR EN MER

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

THE MOVIES

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

THE MUMMY

Runs Natively. Minor fullscreen issue. 

NEXT LIFE

Runs Natively. Missing OpenAL32.dll. Download Open Audio Library here.

NIGHTSTONE

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

NO ONE LIVES FOREVER

Uses Modernizer Patch. All seemingly OK

NO ONE LIVES FOREVER 2

Uses Modernizer Patch. All seemingly OK

NOCTURNE

Uses DDrawCompat. Game crashes. Update DDrawCompat fixes this. Menu access slow. Indeo Video issue affects opening cinematic only.

ONESCAPEE (Windows version)

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

OUTRAGE

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay

OUTRUN 2006: COAST 2 COAST

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

OVERBOARD!

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

PETER JACKSON'S KING KONG - GAMER'S EDITION

Runs Natively. Runs too fast.

PETER JACKSON'S KING KONG - SIGNATURE EDITION

Uses dgVoodoo. Runs too fast. dgVoodoo not hooking.

PIRI THE EXPLORER SHIP

Uses DDrawCompat. All seemingly OK

POOL OF RADIANCE

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

THE REAP

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

REBEL MOON RISING

Uses DxWnd. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay

REDJACK

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK. Minor save issue remains (control with keyboard).

RING II: LEGEND OF THE NIBELUNGEN

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. Stuck on loading screen.

RISING LANDS

Uses Patch. All seemingly OK

RIVAL REALMS

Uses DDrawCompat. Update DDrawCompat for better compatibility. Launch game with RIVAL.exe, not Run.bat.  Requires DirectPlay

SANITY: AIKEN'S ARTIFACT

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay

SCI-FI PINBALL

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

SCOOBY DOO! SHOW DOWN IN GHOST TOWN

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

SENTINEL RETURNS

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay

SHADOW MASTER

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK. Would like a better fullscreen image.

SHADOW OF DESTINY

Uses dgVoodoo. Game runs incredibly slow.

SHEEP, DOG 'N' WOLD

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK. 

SHREK: GAME LAND ACTIVITY CENTRE

Runs Natively. Game works well. Indeo video issue

SHREK 2: ACTIVITY CENTRE

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

SID MEIER'S SIMGOLD

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

SILENT HILL ARCADE

Old version of Game Loader. Long in need of an update.

SIMSAFARI

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

SPACE HULK: VENGEANCE OF THE BLOOD ANGELS

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. Cannot find DPLAY.DLL (copy from DxWnd/SHVOTBA folder to DxWnd folder).

SPIDER-MAN 2: ACTIVITY CENTRE

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. DxWnd's Fake IO feature not working. Asks for CD.

STAR TREK: DS9 - DOMINION WARS

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

STAR TREK: DS9 - THE FALLEN

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

STAR TREK: KLINGON ACADEMY

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

STAR TREK: NEW WORLDS

Runs Natively. Asks for CD. 

STAR TREK: TNG - BIRTH OF THE FEDERATION

Uses DxWnd. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay

STAR TREK: TNG - KLINGON HONOR GUARD

Uses dgVoodoo. Game crashes with "General Protection Fault". See the game page comments for a (hopefully temporary) workaround.

STAR WARS: DROIDWORKS

Uses DxWnd. All seemingly OK. Potential DxWnd faux-registry feature issue.

STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE

Uses dgVoodoo. Game crashes. Currently available to buy on PlayStation Network with rumours of a PC remaster/reissue. Fix is low priority.

STAR WARS: MONOPOLY

Runs Natively. Hangs at launch. Requires DirectPlay.

STAR WARS: YODA STORIES

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

STARSHIP TROOPER: TERRAN ASCENDANCY

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. Game not launching. 

STUPID INVADERS

Uses DxWnd +dgVoodoo. Crashes on launch. Using just dgVoodoo seemingly OK. (".\DxWnd\DxWnd\STI\Stupid Invaders.exe")

SUPREME SNOWBOARDING

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

TANKTICS

Uses DxWnd. All seemingly OK

TECHNOMAGE: RETURN TO ETERNITY

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

TELLURIAN DEFENCE

Uses dgVoodoo. Plays well, but warns it's not installed properly before launch. IMGDrive requires specifying 2 drives to mount both CDs. CD Audio not playing. Requires DirectPlay.

THEXDER FOR WINDOWS '95

Runs Natively. Indeo video issue.

THRUST, TWIST + TURN

Uses dgVoodoo. Indeo video issue

TINTIN: DESTINATION ADVENTURE

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

UFO'S (aka GNAP)

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

VIRTUA COP 1

Uses DxWnd. Cashes after intro. Requires DirectPlay.

VIRTUA COP 2

Uses DxWnd. Plays well, menu bar display issue. Requires DirectPlay

VIRTUA TENNIS

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

WALLACE & GROMIT IN PROJECT ZOO

Runs Natively. Runs well. Indeo video issue.

WARCRAFT ADVENTURE

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK. Needs updating anyway.

WILD METAL COUNTRY

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK. Requires DirectPlay.

YOOT TOWER (aka THE TOWER II)

Runs Natively. All seemingly OK

ZELENHGORM: LAND OF THE BLUE MOON

Uses dgVoodoo. All seemingly OK

ZERO DIVIDE

Uses dgVoodoo. Crashes on game start. Requires DirectPlay.

ZOOCUBE ZQ

Uses DxWnd + dgVoodoo. Crashes on game launch. Works fines with dgVoodoo only (".\DxWnd\ZCQ\ZooCubeZQ.exe")

ZPC: ZERO POPULATION COUNT

Uses DDrawCompat. All seemingly OK

TROUBLESHOOTING

Here are a few troubleshooting notes that are worthy of mention. Those I've successfully fixed are coming in future updates.

DirectPlay

Some old games requires DirectPlay to run, prompting Windows 11 to ask you to activate it. This legacy component isn't automatically activated so will require manual intervention. To manually turning it on or off, access the "Windows Features" settings menu by searching for it in the Windows Search Bar ("Turn windows features on or off"). In this settings menu, under "Legacy Components", enable or disable DirectPlay by clicking the tick box. A restart may be required. Note that the ability to turn it back off again was only implemented in a recent Windows 11 update.

Microsoft Visual C++

If you're a retro PC gamer, it's always a good idea to have all of the Microsoft Visual C++ packages installed. The latest version at least is a must. Download them from Microsoft's official site here.

NET Framework

Some games require Microsoft NET Framework to access some features. Download it from Microsoft's official site here.

Direct-X Runtime

Direct-X Runtime may help with some compatibility issues. Download it from Microsoft's Official site here. Most should already have it installed, but it's worth a mention.

QuickTime

QuickTime can be a pain on modern windows. The best way to install it is through QuickTime Lite which removes all the bloat and adware while keeping the necessary system files. Download the installer here.

Indeo Video

Indeo .dll require an update. The old ones I had been using no longer work on Windows 11. I now use the ones in this package which works well, or you can unzip my own package in the folder of each affected game and run the .reg files like before (note that the .reg files only need to run once, but multiple instances won't hurt).

dgVoodoo

Those that use dgVoodoo might work better with an upgrade. Download the latest stable version here an unzip "dgVoodooCpl.exe" and the .dll files (from "./MS/x86", "./MS/x64", & "./3Dfx/x64" folders in that order) into the affected game folder, overwriting existing files as you go. Don't copy over and overwrite the config file ("dgVoodoo.conf") as that will reset everything to their defaults (each game's ChamberNotes.txt will detail what I originally changed).

DDrawCompat

In my testing, games that used DDrawCompat v0.4.0 or earlier didn't work on Windows 11. Updating the program to the latest iteration (v0.7.1 at the time of writing) tended to solve it. Download "DDrawCompat-v0.7.1.zip" (or current alternative) under the Assets section here and unzip the .dll file to the affected game folder. Overwrite the existing file.

DxWnd

DxWnd is a little more complicated than the previous two programs. You can download the latest version ("v2_06_13_build.rar") here. Unpacking the file and overwriting the older version will not break the program, but the features and settings may need to be reimplemented and/or tweaked to get everything as it was before, let alone get the game running again. 

IMGDrive Portable

Now called IMGDrive Lite for its free version, this program is used on a number of packages to auto-mount a CD ISO without installing a full program. It does require drivers to be installed however it didn't seem to do this using the Command Line version that's been my go-to. To solve, download the GUI version (currently at version 2.2.6) and unzip the files to any folder. Launch the program (most likely "imgdrivelite_x64.exe") to install the drivers. You may also want to select the number of drives to 4 and tick "Hide Empty Drives" in the options menu to assist with the few games that mount multiple CDs (such as Tellurian Defence). These options don't really save to any configuration file or registry key and are instead linked to the driver. As such, they must be individually implemented per system.

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