Challenge accepted!
1.44 MB
Since the computer has no hard drive, I went with a bootable FreeDOS disk. Normally it would be tempting to go with small text-based games (quantity over quality), but I realized that there are a number of games with graphics that used Assembly language to keep the file size small. I prioritized complete games (whether shareware or freeware) over partial games. I managed to fit 4 VGA games, 1 EGA game, 1 CGA game, and 1 ASCII game on a 1.44 MB disk. The disk is also pretty well rounded, featuring an arcade game, two arcade puzzle games, a ball and paddle game, a platform game, a war game, and a dungeon crawl, with 10.5 KB to spare for high scores or saved games.
The Adventures of Captain Comic Release 5
Brix v1.0
Cybersphere Registered Version
DND v1.2:1
Paku Paku v1.3
Scorched Earth v1.0
VGATetris v1.1
I usually picked the smallest version of each game, with the rule that no unnecessary files are to be removed, since documentation sometimes contains license information that can't legally be removed if you distribute the game. I removed only the source code folder from Paku Paku. I included a mouse driver for Cybersphere and Scorched Earth, and himem to increase conventional memory, but I didn't bother with emm386 since any game that fits on a floppy wouldn't be large enough to need extended memory. I ended up running out of space, and the obvious thing to remove was the HTML file from Paku Paku. An HTML file wouldn't be very useful on a computer with no browser, and the game is public domain, so there are no legal requirements to keep any of the files.
1.2 MB
My ultimate 1.2 MB floppy got rid of the mouse driver and swapped VGATetris for Vadim Gerasimov's ASCII Tetris, and got rid of everything else except for Paku Paku and Brix. This allowed me to add Chopper Commando, Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons, and Jetpack.
Brix v1.0
Chopper Commando v2.0
Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons v1.3
Jetpack v1.0
Paku Paku v1.3
Tetris v3.12
There are 2 VGA games, 1 EGA game, 2 CGA games, and 1 ASCII game. This image has two platform games, an arcade game, two action puzzle games, and a simulation game, with 47.5 KB left for high scores and saved games.
2.88 MB
Making a 2.88 MB disk may seem like a loophole, using an obscure format to squeeze in more awesome, but I actually own a 2.88 MB drive, so I feel entitled. If you're trapped on a desert island with a late model PS/2, you can play any game from the 1.2 and 1.44 MB disk (keeping VGATetris over Tetris), plus Mah Jongg -V-G-A- and Monuments of Mars.
There are 6 VGA games, 2 EGA games, 3 CGA games, and 1 ASCII game. This image has four platform games, an arcade game, two arcade puzzle games, a traditional game, a ball and paddle game, a dungeon crawl, a simulation game, and a war game, with 17 KB left for high scores and saved games.
The Adventures of Captain Comic Release 5
Brix v1.0
Chopper Commando v2.0
Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons v1.3
Cybersphere Registered Version
DND v1.2:1
Jetpack v1.0
Mah Jongg -V-G-A- v1.1
Monuments of Mars Registered Version
Paku Paku v1.3
Scorched Earth v1.0
VGATetris v1.1
