I have developed easy to use ranking system which will help us to find which games are able to work on win9x. It is quite simple.

Tools:
Dependency Walker
http://www.dependencywalker.com/

"Can You Run it?" web tool
http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/referrer/srtest

Explanation
Rank 1:
Game is officially able to run on Windows 9x systems and it works

Rank 2:
Game is oficially unable to run on Windows 9x but with updated system game runs. Edit: add here games which are officially unable to run on win9x but they run even without patching.

Rank 3:
Game is oficially able to run on Windows 9x but it does not run at all (due any reason).PLEASE ADD LIST OF MISSING DLL EXPORTS AND REASON WHY GAME DIDNT RUN

Rank 4:
Game is oficially not able to run on Windows 9x and it does not run even when kernelEX is applied. PLEASE ADD LIST OF MISSING DLL EXPORTS AND REASON WHY GAME DIDNT RUN

Rank 5:
Game or engine developed oficially for Windows 9x, which after years is losing its compatibility during updatin - updating of OS or Game itself.PLEASE ADD LIST OF MISSING DLL EXPORTS AND REASON WHY GAME DIDNT RUN

Some of Win9x users have new games. since Kernel and other system files have quite larga number of exports we can focus on those which are really needed to be added. When you come across a game which is unable to run due a missing export or message like "needs winXP to run" run dependency walker, open its main executable (and some other executables) and send with your report all exports which were missing, including files in which the export was missing.


KERNEL EX VERSION 0.3.2a

Ranking List Class "1":
Warcraft II: Battlenet Edition
Warcraft III: The Reing of Chaos
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
Heroes Of Might and Magic III
Heroes Of Might and Magic IV
Might And Magic 6
Might And Magic 7
Grand Theft Auto 3
Diablo I
Diablo II
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction
Far Cry 1
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault
The Elder Scrolls III : Morrowind
The Need For Speed III
The Need For Speed 5: Porsche Challenge
The Need For Speed: Underground 2
Baldur's Gate 1
The Neverhood
KKND
KKND: Extreme
Command and Conquer
Command and Conquer: Red Alert
Command and Conquer: Tiberium Sun
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2
Command and Conquer: Generals
Command and Conquer: Renegade
Dungeon Keeper
Lands Of Lore 2
Lands Of Lore 3
StarCraft
StarCraft: Broodwars
Freelancer
Mafia
Unreal Gold
Unreal Tournament
Unreal II
Unreal Tournament 2004
Age of Empires I
Age of Empires I: The Rise of Rome Expansion
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion
Age of Mythology
Rise of Nations
Rise of Nations Gold Edition
Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942: Road to Rome
Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII
Halo
Quake III
Quake III: Team Arena
Red Faction
Half Life
Half Life: Team Fortress Classic
Half Life: Counter Strike
Alien Versus Predator 1
Mortal Kombat 4
NHL98
Dune 2000
Commandos
Ubik
Civilization II
Wing Commander: Secret Ops
Spellcross
Guildwars
Tomb Raider 1
Tomb Raider 2
Tomb Raider 3
Tomb Raider 4
Tomb Raider 5
Tomb Raider 6


Ranking List Class "2"
The Elder Scrolls IV : Oblivion
Prey
Doom 3
Quake 4
Grand Theft Auto III : San Andreas
Alien Arena
Torino 2006
Civilization IV
Civilization IV Warlords
Civilization IV Beyond the sword
Alpine Ski Racing 2007

Ranking List Class "3"
Halflife 2 - Episode One (Reason - SteamEngine)


Ranking List Class "4"
S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl (Reason - unknown. Bugtracker error? exports are OK)
Age of Empires III (GDI32.dll : AddFontMemResourceEx)
Red Alert - A path beyond BetaFinal - (error message window not visible, exports ok)


Ranking List Class "5":
Ultima Online (Reason - BSOD related to afvxd.vxd on logon)
Steam Engine (reason - artifical block, two missing exports)
Mechwarriors 2: Mercenaries (requires patch 1.05p or above when used with kernelEX)
The Need for Speed 4: High Stakes (Reason - unknown or KernelEX)

This list shall be updated, and reasons added.

Reserved for future use.

Rank 1:

Need for Speed Underground 2

Rank 2:

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (shouldn't run on Win98 but runs anyway)


I wonder why GTA-SA has Win2000 as a system requirement. It could be possible that some secondary bloat bundled with the game requires WinNT, while the real game itself runs. Is there a Steamless HL2?

Perhaps specify exactly how old games may be listed.

I am looking for steamless HL2 but i found only crack 1,8Gb large. Also if San Adreas has written on booklet and in "Can you run it" tool "Required Win2k/XP" and the game runs it belongs to rank 2 no matter if it needs kernel ex or not.

Also age... i am not sure about it. Still complete list of win9x games is much longer as games which are not compatible and quite much of them are still available. And not only low rated products, but very good games. Add them all

Rank 1:

Unreal Gold
Unreal Tournament
Unreal II
Unreal Tournament 2004
Age of Empires I
Age of Empires I: The Rise of Rome Expansion
Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings
Age of Empires II: The Conquerors Expansion
Age of Mythology
Rise of Nations
Rise of Nations Gold Edition
Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942: Road to Rome
Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII
Halo
Quake III
Quake III: Team Arena
Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2
Command and Conquer: Generals
Red Faction
Half Life
Half Life: Team Fortress Classic
Half Life: Counter Strike


Rank 4:

Age of Empires III
GDI32.dll : AddFontMemResourceEx

Demos are not suitable - they contain some bugs which may be not connected with windows 9x.

Class 5
Mechwarriors 2: Mercenaries (requires patch 1.05p or above when used with kernelEX)

Specificly, there's a CD read error when going into a stage on all v1.0 games. It's present in XP and oddly enough becomes present in OS's with the kernelEx patch applied. Patching the game with the official 1.05p, 1.06, or 1.1 patches should remedy this. Worth noting at least.

It’s about time for this thread, eh?


Rank 2:
Torino 2006 (shouldn't run on Win98, but runs flawlessly, no patching!)


------------
As for HL2, I’m pretty sure win98 handles it perfectly, but as long as it uses Steam, it is unable to get the game working.
Need a workaround to get rid the steam.
On the other hand, Source engine is fully Win98 compatible!
Valve had fully working Steam under win98 until last summer, when they stopped to support this OS via Steam.

Steamless HL2 is the only way to go under Win98. (Assuming you own the game)

some people requested Crysis... i am too lazy to download demo... anybody tried it?

Very nice idea Offler... once more!

Here's an important rank 2 game and add-ons (it uses Python and works just fine on Win9x):
Civilization IV
Civilization IV Warlords
Civilization IV Beyond the sword

PS: I confirm what tonich said about HL2...
You shouldn't use steam anyway. The idea to ask a server if you can play a game you bought is just beyond my understanding.

oh, and what category games that work with KernelEx go?

games able to run on Win9x with kernel ex go to "rank 2". if i understand your question...

also about HL2. i asked support if there should be added to steam a command line switch to skip OS check and try to run Steam on any system. i have to write down the missing exports for steamengine. if they shall be fixed steam and steam shall have a cmd line swith it could work even on Win9x with KEX.

I have analyzed steamengine executables:

Steam.EXE - all exports OK
execution is blocked due error message

steamTMP.exe - all exports OK

SteamService.exe - Kernel.32dll: GetConsoleWindow and Advapi32.dll: ChangeServiceConfig2A
At least missing exports, but file can be executed

GameoverlayUI.exe - user32.dll: LockSetForgroundWindow

Writeminidump.exe - all exports OK

Anyone else on steam workaround?


--------------------------------
Rank 2:
Alpine Ski Racing 2007 (shouldn't run on Win98, but works fine, no patching)

Note: I installed it under WinXP, as I have a double boot system.
Not sure whether it can be installed under Win98, thought. I just didn't try.

i have added some new games in list. i think that i can change version 0.3.2 to 0.3.5 without trouble

Why not merge it with the Compatibility Database i started? It's useless to have 2 topics on the same thing. I'm running KernelEx 0.3.5.

On topic: Steam sucks. I am a moderator of a non-steam gaming forum and will always run non-steam. Steam CS 1.6 takes 1 minute to open on my main rig, non-steam CS 1.6 takes 3 seconds. Not mentioning Source games... Besides, HL2 is a singleplayer game. Why should i need an internet connection to play it?

I'll be back with my own crappy games list.

few months ago i bought HL2: EP1. during installation it required internet connection, steam installation and registration. since august 2007 is win9x not supported by steam so installation failed. Game itself is able to run in rank 1...

i would like to separate games from other more usable software, just because for better searching in database...

I don't realize how this improves searching, the search button would return the same results anyway. But whatever... One less worry for me - i won't maintain that topic anymore. Whoever wants to find a compatible app, let him read the 50+ pages of the KernelEx topic. I did.

Ranking List Class "1":

1602 AD Its a great game everyone should get it!

please maintain the database of apps. i will maintaint the games database. it is quite important to distinguish if the game can be installed easily on any win9x system, or needs Kernel Ex, or if the game shall not run from different reasons (such as god damned steam).

It's exactly the same for apps... Whatever, i'll decide what to do later.

there is a bit difference. people who need apps working need some information how to do it - even when it is complicated like erasing files or manipulating registers...

If somebody wants to run game we can hardly create such information database, because no one will read it - they will rather use XP. so only solution for common lazy user shall be installation of kernel EX and nothing else - thats why i once refused to edit game executable to force it run - common users will not do that at all.

also games can provide more information about differences between XP and 9x, since there is more games as other apps and they use system resources more intensly. so if the game shall not run the best way how to report it is to use dependency walker, analyze the dll exports and report the missing things.

Games will show incompatibilities more with user32, gdi32, kernel, shell, directX but they will not use some interfaces such as Firefox 3 does. the matter is not same, at least not for me...

I understand now. I'll edit my topic and just maintain the applications database from now on.

Did Anyone tried Tomb Raider games?

i am sure that most of them belong to rank 1 but i never play them

Tomb Raider 1 to 6 (Angel of Darkness) run fine natively in Win98SE, although I've had trouble with refresh rate zero in Angel of Darkness on my old mobo (Jetway 630CF with SiS630 chipset) and had to run it under Win2003 instead (bad video driver probably).

Haven't had a chance to try Legend or Anniversary (is there any newer one?) because minimum hardware requirements largely exceed my possibilities. Too bad, because the TR series is by far my favorite.

added Tomb Raider series.

I've tried installing Anniversary on Win98SE and failed.
It runs on 2000 or above, but the fatal profile corruption bug destroyed records I've made.