MS-DOS, an operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation, first appeared in 1981 on IBM PCs as PC DOS. Microsoft quickly licensed it as MS-DOS to other manufacturers producing IBM PC-compatible computers. Its final standalone retail version, 6.2.2, was released in 1994, though it continued to be an integral component of the Windows operating system until Windows ME in 2000. Due to MS-DOS's widespread adoption and the prevalence of IBM PC-compatible hardware, it became the leading platform for PC gaming until Microsoft's Windows eventually superseded it.
During the period when both DOS and Windows operating systems were in use, some games originally designed for DOS were distributed with Windows-based launchers or installers. These tools would set up the game, which would then still execute within a DOS environment. Such games are generally categorized under the DOS platform, with their Windows compatibility indicated by this arrangement. Conversely, modern re-releases of classic DOS games that are bundled with a DOS emulator, like DOSBox, but cannot be installed directly onto a pure DOS system, are not classified as DOS platform games.
