Retro gaming often seeks to make new games using an old tech. A new Kickstarter, though, is trying to recreate a classic: solitaire for MS-DOS, shipped on a floppy disk.
Zach Barth, the indie game creator behind the company Zachtronics originally developed this version of the game in conjunction with Shenzhen I/O, a puzzle game designed to teach the basics of coding. It's growing popularity with Shenzhen players inspired Barth to first release the game as an app, and now, as a floppy disk.
"In an effort to nostalgically reconnect with my past and broaden my understanding of antiquated programming paradigms," Barth says on his new Kickstarter, "Keith [Holman, a programmer] and I set out to port SHENZHEN SOLITAIRE to MS-DOS!"
As much a research project as it is game, the new edition of Solitaire requires an IBM compatible PC with a 386 or better, at least 640 kB of RAM, a VGA-compatible graphics card, a mouse, and a way to intake a 3.5 inch floppy disk. Barth initially set a $200 goal, but has blown by that several times over, reaching above $1,300 in terms of funding.
When Solitaire was first installed on Windows 3.1 in 1992, it took the country by storm. The Washington Post reported that thanks to Solitaire, and its companion Minesweeper, "airplanes full of businessmen resemble not board meetings but video arcades. Large gray men in large gray suits—lugging laptops loaded with spreadsheets—are consumed by beating their Solitaire scores, flight attendants observe."
Google has also created a Solitaire program, showing the staying power of the game that has been around since at least the 1780s. All you have to do is type "solitaire" into Google and a game will show up. But if you've got the setup, playing a game on a floppy disk might be the perfect vintage event for a rainy afternoon.
Source: Kickstarter
David Grossman is a staff writer for PopularMechanics.com. He's previously written for The Verge, Rolling Stone, The New Republic and several other publications. He's based out of Brooklyn.
