Updated: March 9, 2009
Little Big Adventure is a sweet, sweet game. It's one of the jewels of the mid-90s, the time when DOS ruled supreme and developers focused on gameplay rather than cheap gimmicks. Indeed, some of the best PC titles ever made were created in this period: Transport Tycoon Deluxe, UFO: Enemy Unknown, and many other glorious names. If you're wondering, worry not, there WILL be a review for LBA coming up soon.
Unfortunately, like more DOS games, LBA is not compatible with modern operating systems, like Windows XP and cannot be played on its desktop without hacking. DOSBox definitely changed this, opening a world of opportunity to old gamers. Still, there are some games you may want to play on your desktop, without the aid of DOSBox; LBA, for instance. Luckily for us, porting Little Big Adventure to Windows XP is a breeze.
Little Big Adventure HQ
Venerable games can't die and LBA is no exception. It still has a vibrant community of followers. The LBA HQ is a website dedicated to the original game and the sequel (LBA 2). At the website, you will find lots of information about the game, plenty of beautiful screenshots and - most importantly - the patches required to make the game run on Windows XP (including SP3).
So all you have to do is download the LBA Win package. Install the game. Run through the textual installer. Once done, do not launch the game. Install LBA Win into the same folder where you installed LBA.
Install LBA Win
The installation is very simple:
After you're done, you'll have an icon on your desktop. Double-click to play.
Run the game and enjoy!
That's it. Time to revive childhood memories!
Conclusion
I think we're privileged to live in the times we do. The relentless stubbornness of the gaming community and the continuous improvement of computer technology allows us to remain true to our old passions and keep them immortal. While it may have seemed that the Windows era would mercilessly crush the DOS, the situation is quite the opposite. The fan base for the DOS oldies is getting stronger every day. The gaming community is led by people who grew playing these games and they sure are not going to let go.
I know I can sleep more easily at night knowing that those special moments that shaped the gaming world and us, the gamers, as people will stay with us forever. LBA, what a game!
Cheers.