Need help with running DOS games in VirtualBox, and NOT DOSBox

[The-Goat]

OK, so I am doing a project on DOS in my high ability class at school. I'm specifically using MS-DOS, which is why I have stayed away from DOSBox, because when I looked at it, it didn't look like ms-dos at all, which is what my project is about. I don't know what computer this will be running on, as the schools tech department is trying to create an administer account on it, although I believe it will be a Dell Optiplex. If anybody wants to know what the specs are, I can tell you when the computer is ready. But anyways, alongside just showing a working version of DOS, I would like to put a game on it, Oregon Trail. I have heard DOS has issues in VirtualBox when it comes to games, but I really need to know how I can do this. Thanks

 

[James Mason]

So you want to emulate games without using an emulator?

 

[The-Goat]

So you want to emulate games without using an emulator?

Yeah, that's essentially my idea, but without installing it over the current operating system.

 

[James Mason]

So what's the purpose of this project that requires ms-dos and the dos version of oregon trail that emulating it isn't an option?

Because no one uses DOS anymore, but it's technically still around on all modern operating systems in the form of Command Prompt (cmd.exe)
DosBox is in fact a direct emulation of a Dos compatible computer. But it's kind of a slightly custom OS to make it easier for modern users to run their games.
The reason you need DosBox is because VirtualBox can't really properly emulate the hardware that old Dos games need.

Also you can play most of the games on the web because they're archived now: https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games

 

[The-Goat]

So, then I guess I'll just stick to not putting the game on there? By the way my project was about the history of dos, and how it has impacted the computer world, and I wanted to showcase it alongside my project with a game. But, I guess I won't.

 

[James Mason]

So, then I guess I'll just stick to not putting the game on there? By the way my project was about the history of dos, and how it has impacted the computer world, and I wanted to showcase it alongside my project with a game. But, I guess I won't.

If you want to show it off, it'd be far easier to just use an emulated version of it like on the web, as it would be accessible from any computer without having to install special software.

Oregon Trail is pretty fun, but there are other more learning oriented games that were definitely around in the classrooms back in my day and were tons of fun while also helping you learn math and how to spell.
https://archive.org/details/msdos_Super_Solvers_Treasure_Mountain_1990