Before home consoles dominated, the best DOS games delivered pure arcade action that could have easily swallowed your quarters. We're diving into the golden age of PC gaming to uncover the incredible shoot'em ups, fighting games, and racers that truly humiliated arcade cabinets despite never being in one. These MS-DOS classics, from the giant robot combat of One Must Fall 2097 to the non-stop bullet heIl of Tyrian 2000, proved you didn't need a coin-op machine for a premium, high-score chasing experience. They brought complex mechanics, blistering speed, and amazing visuals right to your beige computer tower, often creating experiences that felt bigger and more explosive than their arcade counterparts. Join me for a trip back to the 90s as we celebrate the unsung heroes of PC gaming that gave the arcades a serious run for their money.
If you'd like to connect, you can find me on twitter ( @kad3t_uk ) and BlueSky ( video-games.bsky.social )
The footage used in the video is either my own, or comes from these amazing channels: La Mazmorra Abandon, AnythingandEverything, zirkoni, Enrique G. Galvez, Kibbitz, Major Thriftwood, By Urien84 Longplays, AdigunPolack, Retro PC Games, AL82 Retrogaming Longplays,
0:00 Intro 0:23 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Manhattan Missions 1::46 Major Stryker 2:50 Xatax 3:55 Highway Hunter 5:09 Sango Fighter 6:20 Sango Fighter 2 7:26 One Must Fall 2097 8:31 FX Fighter 9:41 Ultimate Body Blows 11:04 Overkill 12:15 Stargunner 13:21 Tyrian 2000 14:32 Raptor: Call of the Shadows 15:38 Screamer 2 16:50 Pinball Fantasies 17:53 Outro
