DOSBox has been the gold standard for running classic '80s and '90s games on modern computers for quite some time, but it's definitely not the only player out there. FreeDOS is another alternative for retro gamers looking for new ways to play. It's an entire operating system, not an emulation app, although you can boot to it from a portable device (thanks to EmuMusicFan for the clarification!). They've just released the long anticipated version 1.3. Folks like PhilsComputerLab have been running tests, and the results are promising. Check out the video below for a sample of what to expect. Privateer and Strike Commander show up in the 1:00-1:30 point and WC1-3 appear around 4:30 (along with the tip to select the second boot option to get expanded memory). This still may be more of a tinkerer's method to get the games going as DOSBox is more broadly compatible and easier to set up, but it's great to have options! I remember during the Windows 98/XP transition being very upset that future generations wouldn't be able to readily play the WC games, and I'm very happy to have been proven wrong there!
This isn't your father's DOS. Your correspondent booted the CD image under VirtualBox and was startled to see it acquire an IP address (and still have 608kB of free base memory). It installs to a FAT32 partition, with optional support for long filenames. It comes with its own full-screen text editor, but also Emacs and Vim. It has an IPv4 stack and basic IP connectivity, and the shell even does Tab-completion. The bonus CD includes a choice of GUIs including Digital Research's GEM desktop, web browsers, file managers, development tools, games and more.
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