How to Play Retro Arcade Games on Your Smartphone
Moe from Mondo / 24-05-2021 / Tech news
Retro gaming has become increasingly popular in recent years thanks to a heavy dose of nostalgia for the simple gameplay and graphics that those games offered, reminding people of their childhoods and happier times. If you are an old-school gamer, then you’re in luck, because emulators can be installed right on your smartphone to let you play your favourite retro games from the likes of Nintendo, Sega and even Sony PlayStation. The question is - which of these emulators is the best for you?
If you own a smartphone, you are most likely a part of one of two groups of people: Apple users and Android users. Although the available emulators generally cater for only one of the two smartphone operating systems, the range of choice more than makes up for it. To play, you will need game ROMS that are compatible with the gaming platform you are emulating as these do not come packaged with the emulators because of licensing rights. So, if you long for the days of Super Mario Brothers or Sonic the Hedgehog, read on to find out which emulator is the best one for you.
Apple iOS
The Apple app store does not allow for gaming emulators, but there is an assortment of legitimate options that can be downloaded off the internet and installed on your device without the need to jailbreak or void any warranties. Here’s our top 3 picks for the best and most reliable emulators:
Delta
Delta supports a wide range of Nintendo consoles, including Game Boy, NES/SNES, N64 and Nintendo DS. The well-developed emulator allows the user to save their game in any state and all data can be stored in a Google Drive Account. A reliable, yet consistently innovative emulator, Delta is a top choice.
Download here: https://deltaemulator.com/
iNDS
iNDS is the emulator that allows you to play Nintendo DS games on your phone for free. Like Delta, iNDS allows the user to save their game with ease and their gameplay runs at nearly full speed on phones from iPhone 5 and above. iNDS is the perfect emulator for Nintendo fans on a budget.
Download here: https://inds.nerd.net/
PPSSPP
Dedicated to emulating the PSP (PlayStation Portable) on your iPhone or iPad, PPSSPP will run any PSP game on your device at near-full speed. Like the others above, PPSSPP allows you to save progress in your gameplay, but the differentiator is that it gives you the option to transfer existing PSP saved files onto your phone!
Download here: https://www.ppsspp.org/
Android
On Android, there are many more options for retro game emulators. With such a huge variety of choices, you know there’s an emulator that is perfect for you, so here’s are our top 3 picks of Android emulators:
ePSXe
ePSXe is perfect for PlayStation gaming. With the Sony PlayStation 1 being one of the most popular consoles of all time, ePSXe has capitalized on the market by providing a reliable emulator to run your favorite games. On top of being able to save your game, ePSXe offers you the chance to play split screen with your friends as well as allowing custom key mapping for your controller.
Download here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.epsxe.ePSXe
John NESS
After combing the two apps, John NES and John SNES, into one, John NESS allows the user to play Nintendo games on Android. With a wide range of attractive features, such as cheat support, save states and integration with DropBox, John NESS is proving to be a very popular choice of emulator.
Download here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.johnemulators.johnness
DraStic DS Emulator
This particularly impressive emulator is unique in the sense that the user can improve the resolution of the game as well as customize the position of the display. More than having the usual save option, DraStic DS Emulator can sync with Google Drive in order to store your progress. For those who want to get ahead quickly, this emulator also houses thousands of cheat modes in their database.
Download here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dsemu.drastic
Finally, RetroArch is widely regarded as a leader in this emulation industry. The main point of differentiation, and probably the most important, is that RetroArch does not need a specific operating system to run on. They offer you the chance to play classic games on a large variety of devices through its clean graphical interface. With advanced features such as rewinding, blind accessibility features and netplay, RetroArch is a very good option for anyone who wants to play their old games again.
What you decide to download will depend on what games you are trying to play, and which emulator features attract you the most. With the huge amount of emulator options found online, you are almost guaranteed to find one that suits you.
Happy gaming!
