DOSBox arrives at release 0.73
Even though the last works on the code have been slowed down by some last hour bugs, around the end of May the DOSBox developers have kept their word by releasing the new version of the best PC/DOS emulator out there. After almost two years since the previous official main release, DOSBox 0.73 comes to improve the already remarkable compatibility level of PC retrogamers’ preferred virtual machine and introduces a lot of new stuff in practically every aspect of the emulation.
The new DOSBox, which was anticipated when the software was chosen as project of the month on SourceForge.net, has maximized all the time passed since version 0.72 bringing new graphic modes and sound cores, fixes in the hardware subsystems and integrated DOS emulation, a better support for the latest operating systems and much more. Undoubtedly these two years haven’t been wasted as shown by the new release full changes list.
From an emulation standpoint there is no doubt that the most significant updates are the ones regarding graphics and sound: in the first case DOSBox 0.73 includes emulation of the EGA standard, of a special VGA mode to support those software inclined to exploit the hardware in uncommon ways and of three different Super VGA modes related to the historical chips developed by S3, Paradise (a subsidiary of the hard disk giant Western Digital) and Tseng Labs. Other important graphics changes include a better emulation of the VESA standard (essentially the first successful attempt to standardize graphic hardware on PC), a video BIOS which “behaves more like a real bios” and several fixes to the preexisting code.
As for sound, maybe the changes are fewer in number but as much important as the graphic ones: besides the fixes to the 16 bit mixer, Sound Blaster cards emulation and to the recording of audio tracks in DRO format files, DOSBox 0.73 features two new cores for OPL2 and OPL3 sound chips, used on the Adlib (the first PC audio standard) and the aforementioned Sound Blaster cards in their several existing versions (SB, SB Pro and SB 16).
The two OPL cores, which like the real chips are used to create sound through frequency modulation (FM) synthesis, have been chosen (according to what said in the release notes) because they can provide a higher emulation speed and two different “implementation approaches” compared with the core used until version 0.72, a piece of code that can be defined as a standard being part of that vast emulation heritage that is the MAME source code. I asked further explanations on the matter to the DOSBox crew, but until now I haven’t received reply to my questions.
DOSBox (0.73) is now a more “OS friendly” emulator considering the latest versions of the main PC operating environments, bringing a better support to Windows Vista CD-ROM interface, a “basic” support to Linux low level input driver evdev and compatibility with Mac OS X CoreMIDI interface. Furthermore the new release includes a lot of improvements and fixes for memory (XMS/EMS) subsystem, file batch (defined by the unmistakable .bat extension) management, file system and mouse, the automatic handling of the host keyboard layout (contrariwise to the previous versions), a faster debugger and so much more.
The new DOSBox is pretty clearly a remarkable upgrade for users and game publishers preferred PC/DOS emulator, and as proven by comments on the official forum (or by its direct use as well) all the new stuff has actually meant an improved compatibility level with classic videogames - particularly those in 3D from the last pre-Windows generations. Among all these certainties, anyway, a doubt still remains: what’s the sense of the status page available on the emulator website, if the emulation accuracy percentages are the same even after the release of version 0.73?
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What game is the one in the last screenshot there? I was thinking about it when reading the article, but couldn’t remember the name, so I was a bit surprised to see it in one of the screenshots when I scrolled down.
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Do you mean the mighty Bitmap Brothers’ Gods?
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Awesome, that’s the one. Childhood here I come =P (I’ve revisited some of my 486 games before, but not this one)
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