As mentioned in a previous post, I have been enjoying Tomb Raider on the original Sony PlayStation. As soon as I submitted the post though, I did wonder about whether I could play it on the PC with all the graphical splendour that cards such as the 3DFX provided. Putting my reservations about PC gaming aside my quest began.
Back in the day, the PC version was by far the best looking thanks to a 3DFX (Glide) patch. I have played Tomb Raider on the SEGA Saturn and the PlayStation, but the PC version had the edge easily with the 3D accelerator enhancements. So how about playing the game today on Windows XP as remember the PC version was designed for DOS and obviously I don’t have a 3DFX 3D accelerator card in my computer anymore…
After a little searching, I came across a program called Glidos. This clever software that emulates the Glide API is available for just $10 (about £6 for those like me in the UK) and supports more than just Tomb Raider.
Enjoy such classic titles as Descent II, Redguard, Carmageddon, Extreme Assault, Grand Theft Auto, Dreams to Reality, Blood, Screamer 2, and Red Baron, which all of course had a Glide 3D accelerated version. A lot of bang for your buck you might say (pun maybe intended!).
Not only does it emulate the older 3D environments, but for the original Tomb Raider it also allows you to add the classic audio extras only found in the console versions before and increase the texture quality. Glidos is the perfect companion for any Tomb Raider nutcase (like myself).
What you need:
- Download Glidos
The software that makes all this happen and a worthy purchase indeed - Download the Audio pack
Allows you to play the game with PlayStation Audio CD like triggers, which weren’t found in the PC version before - Download Texture Packs
Choose a texture pack to enhance the now aging details - Download VDMSound
To emulate older soundcards - Download the Tomb Raider Installer Wizard
So you don’t have to use DOS to install the game and you also get the required 3D patches automatically without having to painstakingly look around the Internet
Basically the process involves you installing all of this one by one in order until you finally get to play Tomb Raider on the PC in all its glory and with all the new enhancements. If you desire step by step instructions, you can find a very good article over at the Tomb Raider HUB website.
Link: Glidos
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