Looking to bring back some old-school games to your modern devices? Here are some console emulators to make your life easier.
Dolphin
Dolphin Emulator is excellent when you want to bring back Wii or GameCube games. The emulator has a clever way to emulate the motion controls associated with Wii. Even if you do not have the classic Wiimote around, you can still enjoy games that cannot normally be played without it – such as Mario Galaxy. Dolphin is just as good for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection feature, so you can deal with online matches if the respective games allow it. Dolphin will also allow enabling cheats, setting memory card paths for your save files, or change the actual resolutions. The game performance is almost flawless, as you are less likely to find bugs that will alter the experience.
DeSmuME
There are quite a few good options out there for Nintendo DS, but DeSmuME stands out in the crowd in terms of performance and stability. You can use it in a few different ways – graphical programs or command lines. There is one minus though – it does not have a mobile version. Other than that, some of its features include the option to save games, use cheats, audio, and video recording, or even screenshots. It mimics the old-school experience in a good manner. Moreover, you are free to add your own controller if you have one or at least customize the keyboard keys based on your preferences.
Kega Fusion
Kega Fusion is your best friend if you need to emulate classic Sega Genesis games. The emulator is not new at all – in fact, it has been around for a while and it has been through a series of upgrades. It also supports games from other similar systems – Sega CD, SG-1000, Master System, or Game Gear, just to name a few. It allows you to use more save slots, but also to enable cheat codes and grab screenshots. Videos can be deeply customized with various filters and sounds. Controllers can also be configured depending on the console you want to use. Simply put, it leaves no room for mistakes and bugs are almost nonexistent.
MAME
MAME is excellent for arcade games. At first, it may seem a bit too complicated. The interface is too basic and may feel confusing at times. There is nothing to worry about though – once you get used to it, it becomes a breeze. The easiest way to use it is through the command line. There is lots of documentation online, so you can easily find your way through the setup process. Other than that, the emulator allows games from Neo Geo, Sega, Capcom, and Namco – older consoles are also accepted. Not all ROMs are perfect, but small bugs are irrelevant and will not affect the gaming experience – plus, the emulator is still being updated these days.
Mednafen
Mednafen emulates classic Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and TurboGrafx games. You can also use it for some of the most popular Game Boy Advance games, not to mention titles in the NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, and Neo Geo Pocket collections. The graphical interface will not impress you, yet you can set everything up right away – lookup for documentation online if you struggle. There are many features supported by the emulator, such as save games, rewind features, screen filters, cheats, screenshots, key remapping, netplay, and even controller connectivity. While basic in theory, the emulator will surprise you with its lack of bugs and smooth emulation features.
Mesen
If you need a solid and stable emulator to enjoy games from the classic NES, Mesen Emulator will give you a good surprise. Apart from the NES, Mesen is suitable for the Vs. System, Famicom Disk System, and Dendy games too. Small variants of these consoles may also be accepted. It comes with the right features and allows you to record audio and video take screenshots, netplay features, rewind, and debugging capabilities. You can seriously enhance the experience with filters, deep customization for video and audio, as well as overclocking. If you find old-school NES graphics a bit too old-fashioned for your preferences, you can always find texture packs that add to the graphics – without actually altering the gaming experience. There is, of course, a more complicated process to do it, but you can easily find the documentation over the Internet.
Bottom line, the list could go longer, but the above-mentioned titles will cover most of the games from your childhood – more importantly, in a pleasant experience without any solid bugs.
