preserve-cd

This is a game preservation project aimed at collecting and distributing classic games that are disappearing from the internet. The author's concern is that older games and software are being lost faster than people realize, and most internet users have not developed habits around archiving or backing things up. The project offers curated ISO disc images that people can download and keep.

CD1 focuses on 64 carefully selected DOS games, most of which are now nearly impossible to find online without running into corrupted or malware-infected copies. Rather than dumping thousands of DOS games into one massive archive, this disc picks the 64 most worth playing and pairs each one with a screenshot, a description, the developer name, the publisher, and the genre. The disc fits on a standard 650MB CD-R. Each game also comes with the configuration it needs to run correctly in DOSBox, the software commonly used to emulate old DOS-era computers.

CD2 focuses on 100 simple, casual games for Windows and Flash. These are described as easy to pick up, require no purchases or top-ups, and remain entertaining over time. The disc is positioned as an alternative to modern free-to-play games that lock progress behind payments.

The project also includes a supplementary collection of game walkthroughs and strategy guides for classic DOS, Famicom, Super Famicom, and Mega Drive games, distributed as a separate ISO.

Downloads for each disc are available through Google Drive, Baidu Pan, 115, Tianyi Cloud, and BitTorrent links. MD5 checksums are provided so you can verify that a downloaded file is not corrupted. The project page links to a companion repository that preserves classic software tools using the same approach.