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5 Best PC Games Of The '80s, Ranked
AppWizard
August 10, 2026

5 Best PC Games Of The ’80s, Ranked

The original "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" is a classic game from 1989 that is being remade to appeal to both new and veteran players. "Dungeon Master," released in 1987 by FTL Games, is a first-person dungeon crawler that introduced a dynamic improvement mechanism for character attributes and skills, featuring real-time combat and detailed monster designs. "Maniac Mansion," developed by Lucasfilm Games in 1987, is a horror-comedy point-and-click adventure that involves rescuing a teenager from a mad scientist's home, known for its intricate puzzles and multiple endings. "MIDI Maze," released in 1987 for the Atari ST, was an early multiplayer first-person shooter that allowed up to 16 players to battle using floating smiley faces as avatars and included networking capabilities and a level editor. "Starflight," released in 1986, allowed players to explore a vast galaxy, interact with civilizations, and engage in diplomacy and trading, featuring 270 star systems and the ability to recruit crew members and upgrade spacecraft.
Trent Reznor on Doom: 'In some ways I felt a parallel with what I was trying to do with music'
AppWizard
August 7, 2026

Trent Reznor on Doom: ‘In some ways I felt a parallel with what I was trying to do with music’

A Quake-themed QuakeCon event celebrated the 30th anniversary of the iconic shooter, featuring a panel with John Romero and Marty Stratton, and the unveiling of a new 19-level episode of Quake. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails made a brief livestream appearance, reflecting on his significant contribution to the game's soundtrack in 1996. Quake's music, characterized by industrial soundscapes, created an intense atmosphere that sometimes led players to mute the audio. In honor of the anniversary, new Quake-themed merchandise was launched, including an ammo box, t-shirt, keychain, hoodie, and reissued vinyl soundtrack.
I played DOOM inside MS Paint on Windows 11 by hijacking the clipboard, and it's shockingly good
Winsage
August 5, 2026

I played DOOM inside MS Paint on Windows 11 by hijacking the clipboard, and it’s shockingly good

Mark Russinovich, the Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft Azure, has created a project called DoomPaint, which allows the classic game DOOM to be displayed within Microsoft Paint. The game operates through the ViZDoom engine, rendering frames headlessly and transferring them to Paint via the Windows clipboard. DoomPaint features full keyboard controls, sound effects, and a MIDI soundtrack, maintaining a frame rate of around 35 FPS. To run DoomPaint, users need to download the project from GitHub, ensure Python is installed, extract the folder, and run a batch file, which sets up a virtual environment and opens Microsoft Paint for gameplay. The default controls include movement with W/S or arrow keys, turning with A/D or arrow keys, strafing with Q/E, firing with Ctrl/F, and other functions assigned to different keys. The project uses the shareware DOOM1.WAD for the initial episode and additional maps from Freedoom due to licensing restrictions. DoomPaint differs from previous attempts to integrate DOOM into Paint by using Paint’s canvas as the sole display for the game. The clipboard race condition was addressed by allowing the application to own the clipboard as a reference-counted OLE data object. Sound effects come from ViZDoom through OpenAL, and music is played using a separate module that loops through the Windows MIDI sequencer. Russinovich utilized Claude Fable 5 for this project, demonstrating how AI tools can enhance software development.
This composer just remade the entire soundtrack of the first Elder Scrolls game: 'It really gives you a sense of wonder and adventure'
AppWizard
April 24, 2026

This composer just remade the entire soundtrack of the first Elder Scrolls game: ‘It really gives you a sense of wonder and adventure’

The Elder Scrolls: Arena was released in 1994 on MS-DOS, featuring a soundtrack by Eric Heberling, who faced technological limitations of the time. He used General MIDI instruments and a Roland Sound Canvas for composition, which led to compromises in the audio quality. In 2011, Heberling reflected on these challenges. A modern artist named Martin has reimagined the entire original soundtrack, making it available on platforms like Spotify. Martin has a personal connection to Arena, describing it as a cherished part of his gaming history, and emphasizes the importance of providing a modernized version of the music. He appreciates the original soundtrack's thematic similarities to Daggerfall and its retro-RPG vibe, noting its grandiose and varied nature. Martin takes pride in his remakes, particularly the character creation track and the intro theme, aiming to capture the essence of the original while using contemporary software.
Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War review
AppWizard
April 17, 2026

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War review

Starship Troopers: Ultimate Bug War is a licensed first-person shooter developed by Auroch Digital and published by Dotemu and Game Source Entertainment, priced at £15. The game lacks multiplayer functionality and performs suboptimally on the Steam Deck. Combat mechanics involve players using powerful spray-and-pray weapons with limited ammunition against sparse enemy encounters, failing to create a sense of urgency. Airstrikes are included but often feel unnecessary due to insufficient enemy presence. The Klendathu Drop mission stands out for its chaotic gameplay, contrasting with the otherwise empty maps. The game attempts to replicate the film's aesthetic but often misses the mark, with repetitive outposts and an uninspired soundtrack. Players can assume the role of an "Assassin Bug," but this mode lacks depth and engaging objectives. The game features characters voiced by the original actors, but the delivery is stilted and the satire feels dated. Overall, Ultimate Bug War struggles to capture the essence of the original film and novel, with pacing and level design that leave much to be desired.
Windows 11 finally hits right note: MIDI 2.0 support arrives
Winsage
February 18, 2026

Windows 11 finally hits right note: MIDI 2.0 support arrives

Microsoft has introduced MIDI 2.0 support for Windows 11, allowing multiple applications to access the same MIDI device and port simultaneously, and enabling users to customize MIDI port names. MIDI 2.0, which includes updates for device discovery and fallback capabilities, was first introduced in 2020. The update maintains backwards compatibility with MIDI 1.0 and includes a new USB MIDI 2.0 class driver, usbmidi2.sys, while retaining the legacy usbaudio.sys driver. The enhancements promise faster connection speeds and two-way communication, improving the music production experience.
Making music with MIDI just got a real boost in Windows 11
Winsage
February 17, 2026

Making music with MIDI just got a real boost in Windows 11

MIDI serves as a crucial tool for musicians, enabling instrument synchronization, effects control, and electronic music creation. It began at the 1983 NAMM Show with the introduction of MIDI 1.0, which transmitted messages over a DIN serial cable. MIDI 1.0 has limitations, such as a control parameter range of 0-127 and inadequate support for orchestral articulation. In 2020, MIDI 2.0 was introduced, offering improvements like bidirectional communication, automatic device discovery, and high-resolution controllers. Windows 11 now supports both MIDI 1.0 and MIDI 2.0 through Windows MIDI Services, which includes features like multi-client support, customizable MIDI endpoints, built-in loopback, and tighter message timing. A new USB MIDI 2.0 class driver has been developed, and tools for MIDI scripting will be released soon. The development of Windows MIDI Services involved community collaboration, and future enhancements are planned for music creation on Windows.
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