What Is the Dolphin Emulator?
The Dolphin emulator is a community-based project that enables you to play Nintendo Wii, GameCube and indie games from your computer. Dolphin was developed for Microsoft Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. The application emulates a variety of inputs and supports most modern hardware to deliver a smooth playing experience. As an open-source project with continuing support from many contributors, Dolphin offers improved stability and additional features as new versions are released.
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Wii Support
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The Dolphin emulator’s primary support is for Nintendo Wii games. As of December 2011, game compatibility is fairly stable. Dolphin successfully emulates many commercial titles with little to no known problems, while others perform poorly or do not launch at all. Common problems include graphical glitches (such as missing or deformed objects) and issues with audio. As the emulator remains a work in progress, more games will eventually reach a playable stage.
GameCube Support
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Aside from Wii titles, the emulator supports a wide range of GameCube games, most of which were developed before the Wii console’s release. As GameCube games had lower graphical requirements, they are typically more compliant than current-generation Wii games. However, compatibility concerns are still present for many existing titles, including problems with video, sound and control.
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Homebrew
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Dolphin plays community-developed titles known as "homebrew" software. These are usually simplistic programs or games with a single goal and a basic graphical design. Examples include clones of classic titles as well as multimedia applications. Homebrew development allows users to experience games and utilities not normally available in stores. Homebrew software may receive occasional updates, or the source code may be released to the public for further development.
Inputs
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Dolphin supports standard computer inputs such as keyboard, mouse, game controllers and joysticks. Users can also play with a Wii Remote by using a Bluetooth receiver. Support for multiple players is also available, allowing users to play each other over the Internet or locally. Dolphin’s flexible options enable unrestricted button configuration, even if a game does not support controller modification by default.
Other Options
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The Dolphin emulator supports most modern hardware devices, to improve game performance and playability. For example, users can play in a fixed or full-screen resolution, and enable additional features to improve graphics. Depending on the title, users may have to toggle various settings to fix or improve performance. However, common and standard options are toggled by default, which makes the playing experience more welcoming to new users.
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Resources
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