How to Play Classic Console Games on Your Computer

If you're a fan of classic gaming consoles such as Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, PSX, N64, and more, click here. You'll have a blast reliving those retro moments, this time playing all classic games from your computer.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Emulator(s)
• ROMs/Backups
• Controller (recommended)

1. 

   --== Game Backups (ROMS)- How to Play Them ==--
   
   In order to play any game on your computer, first you need to get them. These can be legally obtained by owning the original copy of the games. Game ROMs can also be found on many underground gaming sites. For legal purposes, I cannot give away any of these sources. Once you have any particular game on your computer, use the corresponding emulator from the list below in order to play them. Simply install any of the applications below, and browse for the game ROMs to get them up and running.
   
   Refer to the general tips and warnings for more information.

2. 

   --== Emulation: Atari ==--
   
   Let's kick things off with some of the best Atari emulators out there. For those of you who may remember and love the Atari 2600, 5200, and 7800, you're in luck. The best three applications to run these type of games are: Stella, Z26, and PCAE. Others may include Atari ++ (for the 5200), Emu7800 (for the 7800) and Virtual Jaguar (for Atari Jaguar.) All these can be fully customizable to use gaming controllers, perfect sound and graphics. Overall, it's a near-perfect replica of any classic console.

3. 

   --== NINTENDO ==--
   
   Some of the best emulators for the NES are JNES, FCE Ultra, and Virtua NES. These guys can play virtually every single game you grew up with. And if you equip them with a gaming controller, you'll be immediately hooked. Enjoy.

4. 

   --== SUPER NINTENDO ==--
   
   If you're looking to play old Super Nintendo games, look no further. Applications such as SNES9x, and ZSNES will have you enjoying classics for hours.

5. 

   --== SEGA Genesis ==--
   
   The best known emulators for the Genesis are Gens, and Fusion. Just like the others, these are fully customizable and can play just about anything you throw at them. Refer to the external links below for more information.

6. 

   --== NINTENDO 64 ==--
   
   The N64 had its moments. Why not relive them? Use great emulators like 1964 and Project 64. These babies have an almost perfect emulation of any game you want to play. Same rules apply: Install emulator, browse for your stored ROMs. Play.

7. 

   --== PSX ==--
   
   Games for the original Play Station can be tough to get, mainly for their huge amount of space. However, once you manage to get your hands on any game, I suggest using the ePSXe emulator. It has endless video, sound, and rendering options to make your games look even better than the actual console.

Tips & Warnings

• It is best to use the above emulators with gaming controllers for better experience.
• If any game in particular is not working with your emulator, play with the application's video/sound settings.
• There's plenty of support for most of these emulators, especially "plugins" that increase the compatibility of your game backups.
• It is legal to own these emulators, therefore I have provided links to download them below. However, you must own the original game in order to have a backup stored on your computer. Use at your own risk.

Resources

• Stella (Atari)
• Atari ++
• Emu 7800 (Atari)
• Virtual Jaguar
• FCE Ultra (Nintedno)
• Snex9x (SNES)
• Gens (Genesis)
• Project 64 (N64)
• ePSXe (Play Station)

[Haoie]

on 7/20/2008 Very informative, and covering a wide number of topics. Excellent.