Emulators

Emulation on Windows PC is a bright option and it is only getting brighter. It allows users to play software that is designed for other hardware on Windows PCs. This can mean using Apple OS or Android on your Windows PC. This can all mean playing games from the 80s and 90s on your PC.

This is typically done with a piece of software that attempts to emulate a gaming console as best as possible and a ‘rom’ file that is a copy of the original game. For example, ZSNES is a well known Super Nintendo emulator. Using ZSNES and a rom file of Super Mario World a user can play Super Mario World on their computer.

While retro consoles are a very popular form of emulation it does not stop there. Arcade machines(Pac-Man, Street Fighter, Time-Crisis, Daytona USA), phones(Android, Apple), operating systems(DOS, Windows, macOS), and even Texas Instrument calculators have emulators.

Some emulators do require a BIOS or firmware to run properly. Essentially some consoles, like the Playstation 1 for example, boot even without a game in the system. The system BIOS/firmware allows the Playstation to control memory cards and play music-CDs from the system as opposed to needing something like a ‘Memory Card Manager’ game disc.

This is a legal grey area as roms and BIOS files can be considered to be illegal ‘copies’ in the eyes of some people. Other people stand by the idea that if you own the hardware, then owning a ‘backup copy’ should not be illegal. Furthermore, other people believe that emulation helps preserve games for a future generation to enjoy, so we should embrace it. Software and hardware creators point to the fact that it allows users to play games that they do not own, so roms and emulators are just piracy. However, Sony lost a legal battle that set the precedent that emulators are legal.

The pros usually outweigh the cons of emulation. Emulators, especially for retro consoles, are generally 99-100% accurate when running software. They allow for peripheral devices like the SNES mouse, NES Zapper, N64 Rumble packs, or PSX Memory Cards. Newer emulators usually allow for video options like upscaling to HD quality, switching between aspect ratios and resolutions, and recording gameplay. You can pick the controller type you prefer to play with and setup the buttons your way.

Emulators also offer quality of life features such as state saving/loading and fast-forward/rewinding. You can save your entire game state at any point in your game and load it instantly meaning you do not have to rely on in-game saves or memory cards, but you still can play the more authentic way if you would like. Rewinding a game allows you to quickly fix a mistake you made while playing. Fast-forwarding a game means you can skip cut-scenes you may have already seen too many times, so you can just get on with the game.

One of the biggest pros for emulation is the ease of access. Just about any computer, laptop, phone, etc… can run an emulator. Once someone understands how to use an SNES emulator and find the roms, then that person basically has free access to the entire SNES catalog. As well as modified roms like alternate versions of Super Mario World or translations of Final Fantasy games to a localized language.

The cons do exist as well. Even if you can find the roms, then you risk breaking copyrights laws. Emulators can also be tricky to setup by requiring BIOs files, controller mapping, managing peripheral device like light-guns and memory cards, or needing to adjust emulator video settings to make the game display correctly. That is as opposed to the easier option of just sticking the game in the machine and playing. While emulators are very accurate, nothing is more accurate than genuine hardware, so you get the authentic feel while using physical consoles and games.

Another downside is due to the fact that emulators are not generally commercial products, anyone can create software, then call it an emulator. Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, etc… will not endorse third-party emulators and this enables hackers and scammers to easily use fake emulators as bait for naive and eager gamers.

Whatever your standpoint on emulation, it is not likely going anywhere. And while this site will not provide commercial roms or bios links, it will point you towards some public domain(free and legal) roms at the great Zophar’s Domain. Enjoy!