ScummVM celebrates 20 years with a significant update

[Daniel Sims]

What just happened? The developers of a program for running many classic PC games on modern computers recently released a big patch for its 20th anniversary. The update adds support for more games like Grim Fandango, adds new features, and significantly reworks some other things.

Over the weekend the ScummVM website posted the announcement, containing a lengthy list of changes and new features. It also linked to a sale GOG.com is running on classic games which ScummVM supports.

ScummVM, which stands for Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion Virtual Machine, has been used to update hundreds of classic PC games, making them compatible with modern operating systems. Most of them are adventure games and RPGs. The first version was published in October of 2001.

The latest version, 2.5, adds support for 2.5D games to the desktop version including Grim Fandango, The Longest Journey, and Myst 3: Exile. In addition to the 2.5D games, the anniversary update adds support for titles like Little Big Adventure, Red Comrades 1 and 2, Crusader: No Remorse, Glulx Interactive Fiction games, and more. The release also enhances support for non-English versions of many games.

According to the announcement, a major rework of ScummVM's GUI has been completed, and it now supports Unicode characters everywhere, as well as high resolutions for HiDPI screens. More games support KeyMapper, and a large number of Wintermute games now support GOG and Steam achievements. The Nintendo DS port of ScummVM has been "significantly rewritten."

The GOG sale on ScummVM games includes titles like Blade Runner, Myst, Riven, The 7th Guest, Space Quest, King's Quest, The Dig, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, and more.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/91687-scummvm-celebrates-20-years-significant-update.html

 

[VitalyT]

ScummVM, which stands for Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion Virtual Machine

Does it now? Great Friggin Yikes, huh, as in GFY idea.

 

[BSim500]

They've done a fantastic job with so many playable games, plus hundreds of untested AGS Engine ones just added. And ScummVM for Android means a serious chunk of classic PC adventures games can be put onto a tablet / phone. Utterly priceless keeping the kids quiet in the back of the car.

 

[Experimentongod]

I just installed ScummVM yesterday to play Phantasmagoria 2 and it instantly improved the game experience with ZERO configuration required (it automatically removes the horrible scanlines that ruin the look of the game).

I've also used it before to play "The Dig" and it's excellent. I highly recommend using it to play supported games.

 

[gamerk2]

I typically prefer DOSBOX for DOS era titles, but having something that can deal with early Win-16 era games is obviously necessary.