Who Hates Emulation?

[IHatedSega]

Im just wondering if someone hates it when someone says theyve emulated an NES game. On one forum that I cant link to someone said it was like "painting the mona lisa on a brick wall", oookay. I bet that person was trolling or tried to emulate in the mid 90's and hasnt gotten past their mental barrier to see if its gotten better. Emulation for me is really important because a lot of game developers dont re-release old classics, especially when it comes to unique arcade games. When it comes to newer games, yeah youre better off buying them, which you should do anyway. But for older games I really enjoy it since so many cost way too much to buy unless you have a PS3 and a great internet connection. Emulation is really the only way most people can play Earthbound games as well, outside Japan.

So, does anyone REALLY or mildly not like it? Im just curious what your reasons are.

[Ace]

I'm not entirely fond of emulation, but there are certain times where using it is pretty much a necessity due to the scarcity or insanely high price of the original hardware. Generally, though, I don't like emulation simply due to the inaccuracies, particularly when it comes to sound, and that drives me nuts. Nearly every single emulator I've used has audio inaccuracies with the exception of NES emulators like NEStopia. The accuracy of the emulation is pretty much spot-on to the NES (much better than the numerous NOAC-based hardware clones that have been released since they first became legal in 2005), but with other consoles... I'm not so enthusiastic about using emulation. Genesis emulation is always wrong, Super NES emulation still could use some work (and people REALLY should stop using older Super NES emulators like ZSNES as the audio emulation is horribly off on that emulator as well as earlier versions of SNES9x), TurboGrafx 16 emulation is all over the place, Master System emulation is also all over the place (and absolutely terrible when you enable FM Synthesis as not a single software-emulated Yamaha YM2413 sounds like the real chip - you'd get more accurate audio out of a counterfeit YM2413 installed in an actual Master System), and arcade emulation has its share of problems (the games I emulate in MAME, for instance, are FILLED with audio inaccuracies that I've waited a long time for the MAME team to fix, but they never did, so I pretty much just said f*** it and decided to tweak MAME myself to get better results).

So there you have it. I personally don't like emulation, but give it enough time, and it should be 100% accurate to the original hardware, in which case, I wouldn't mind using software emulation.

[IHatedSega]

Yeah I use nestopia and have the newest version of 9x, the sound on Chrono Trigger is perfect Id say. My main gripe with ZSNES is that you have to hit esc to do other things on your computer, so now I just use 9x. Genesis sound though, Im sorry but only some music was really good. That metallic klang and mechanized voices on SF 2 for instance makes me play the SNES versions when ever I play it. Most of the time I listen to other music or listen or watch online shows when Im playing, I like to multitask on my computer. The sound on PS1 games though Id say is perfect since theyre CD based, on psxfin a ton of games are perfect, but still has some weird bugs like DOOM not having walls, which makes it scarier, and Ape Escape though you cant run straight, I dont know why they cant fix that yet.

[Jack_Burton_BYOAC]

"Hating" emulation is folly. And it's going to become even more so as time passes and a majority of young gamers who grew up with the concept see less of a problem with it.

Do you have a problem with VHS? DVD? Are you aware those movies you watched as a kid were essentially being seen on a postage stamp compared to the cinema? Even Blu-ray can't convey all the information on a 35 or 70mm film. What I'm getting at is that while accuracy is a noble pursuit, for this generation of emulation users all the drawbacks aren't even thought of as being anything wrong at all. Playing on legit hardware is seen as rather cute, or something for purists/geeks.

[Pedro Lambrini]

"Hating" emulation is folly. And it's going to become even more so as time passes and a majority of young gamers who grew up with the concept see less of a problem with it.

Do you have a problem with VHS? DVD? Are you aware those movies you watched as a kid were essentially being seen on a postage stamp compared to the cinema? Even Blu-ray can't convey all the information on a 35 or 70mm film. What I'm getting at is that while accuracy is a noble pursuit, for this generation of emulation users all the drawbacks aren't even thought of as being anything wrong at all. Playing on legit hardware is seen as rather cute, or something for purists/geeks.


Too true.

With rising prices, failing hardware and bit rot the only future for the real deal emulation should be embraced even if it's just a fac simile of the 'proper' experience...

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

Im just wondering if someone hates it when someone says theyve emulated an NES game. On one forum that I cant link to someone said it was like "painting the mona lisa on a brick wall", oookay. I bet that person was trolling or tried to emulate in the mid 90's and hasnt gotten past their mental barrier to see if its gotten better. Emulation for me is really important because a lot of game developers dont re-release old classics, especially when it comes to unique arcade games. When it comes to newer games, yeah youre better off buying them, which you should do anyway. But for older games I really enjoy it since so many cost way too much to buy unless you have a PS3 and a great internet connection. Emulation is really the only way most people can play Earthbound games as well, outside Japan.

So, does anyone REALLY or mildly not like it? Im just curious what your reasons are.

I REALLY hate the illegal kind of emulation and will never do it. 1) it is stealing, and 2) I want my local mom and pop used game stores to survive.

Your paragraph indicates that you see games you want, but that are too expensive, or too hard to get. Understandable, but when this happens to me, I just learn to live without those things. It seems that people today have a sense of entitlement, where they must get everything they want, no matter what the method is.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

Too true.

With rising prices, failing hardware and bit rot the only future for the real deal emulation should be embraced even if it's just a fac simile of the 'proper' experience...

Many used games have fallen in price since 2008, which seemed to be the height of the retro movement. You can check it on the Video Game Price Charts website. The biggest exceptions have been Nintendo system games. One reason for the price drop is because many games have been re-released as downloads on the various modern systems.

As far as failing hardware, things are fixable with a soldering iron, and many of the mass-produced systems, such as the PS1, are in plentiful supply.

Bit Rot, that's a grey area (literally). I personally have never encountered a disc with rot, and I have a pretty huge collection. Nor have I known anyone who has a disc with rot. Until I see it happening, I'm not going to worry about it.

[IHatedSega]

I dont think its so much entitlement as much as its the means are there now to get stuff. Like libraries with books, you can go there and read a book that you wouldnt be able to afford, do people call others who check out a brand new book a thief for not just buying it or waiting till they can? And what does it matter if you check out a book by Charles Dickens, hes not rereleasing the books anymore.

I dont feel bad at all that Im emulating Earthbound, Nintendo wont rerelease it here, and theyll never release Mother 3 as long as they stay in the past. So why shouldnt I play this game that everyone on youtube says is a great game? Also Live A Live is supposed to be great, because of emulation someone made an english translated version and Ill eventually get to playing it.

I think emulation is actually better than buying a game used. Theres someone profiting off of that game and they wont give royalties to the developers. Thats of course if someone sees emulation as stealing. Either way the actual makers of the game arent making money off of it.

[Tanooki]

Hating it? That's somewhere between naive and stupid. Even if it's not your thing as a best choice for playing a lot of games, emulators serve a utility purpose too. For years now I've had lazy moments and used them to game, why not? But I've also used them going back into the 90s when I learn about a game to see if it sucks or not for my tastes before buying it. Emulators have in turn saved me a ton of money on buying turds, but has also shown me some games I thought would blow to actually be fun so I bought them. This isn't just for retro as I actively did this when emulator authors crossed the line and started emulating new hardware (N64, GBC, GBA) too.

There's also the fact the concept of the 'virtual console' on various modern systems and handhelds will get boring to people or the companies, and they never release all the goodies either too. Bitrot, old age, systems dying and so on, in the end emulating the hardware will get you results and with all the scamming bullshit on 'retro game pricing' right now I imagine a lot would rather blow a tiny download and a minute setting up an emulator than $225+ on a game cart of Bubble Bobble 2 for instance. Also if you hate emulators, you do have other options anyway like the PowerPak for the NES or the various everdrives. Real hardware, real cart with a SD or the like in it, and bam...game time.

[Battyone]

I REALLY hate the illegal kind of emulation and will never do it. 1) it is stealing, and 2) I want my local mom and pop used game stores to survive.

Your paragraph indicates that you see games you want, but that are too expensive, or too hard to get. Understandable, but when this happens to me, I just learn to live without those things. It seems that people today have a sense of entitlement, where they must get everything they want, no matter what the method is.

I think the problem is that one day in the future there will not be a working SNES, NES, Atari 2600, etc; or that your original rom cart will no longer work. What choices are you left with then?

The local mom and pop used game stores will continue to exist, but even then I've seen a decline over the years in a shift to ebay, which is okay but still does not address the real issue. There is a limited quantity of hardware out there, and it breaks down over time. Emulation helps preserve the system, which I am entirely okay with.

As/for the sense of entitlement, it seems that argument can cut both ways. ("It's my candy and I don't want to share it.") Think of all the rare carts that are undumped, that are literally impossible to come by, and that by extension you will _never_ see. It's an issue of curiosity and a desire to not see these works removed from the face of the earth forever that drives emulation.

Look back through history, every medium (our own included) has lost work. Work that will never be seen again because it was too cumbersome, or absolutely impossible to preserve it. With digital media it's possible to preserve it, and while in the short term it may be "harmful" to the used game markets (I disagree since not everyone who plays an emulated game would be a collector, we're different breeds of people.), in the future there may be no other way to get access to these titles. Should they just be lost forever? The few remaining potentially good copies sealed away in acrylic protectors to preserve their value?

By extension of your argument, are famiclones and repo carts also disastrous to the used game market? Or are you just implying that it's okay to only play your own dumped games, in which case collectors who are not technically competent enough to not destroy their games dumping them are out in the cold once hardware starts breaking down?

[Atarileaf]

I use emulation primarily as a tool to try games out to see if I like them - a prime example being Mr. Do on the original gameboy. I loved it so much on the emulator I went out and bought a copy on ebay a few days later.

[SparTonberry]

I don't see a problem with emulation.
Feel you're pirating? If you have an original, then you're not stealing anything.
Easier to load a file than to deal with bad connectors, failing saves, etc. (if you have a huge collection, then even finding a cart/disc can be somewhat of a pain. Okay, maybe that's just admitting to being a bit lazy.)
Especially the dirty connectors. Clean, reinsert, retest, sometimes five or more times for a single play.
Savestates can also be a help in a longer game, or if you don't have enough time to finish. (I know my friend said he left his NES on for a month or more trying to beat Ninja Gaiden for the first time, but I don't know if that's good for the hardware.)

[Jack_Burton_BYOAC]

I REALLY hate the illegal kind of emulation and will never do it. 1) it is stealing, and 2) I want my local mom and pop used game stores to survive.

Your paragraph indicates that you see games you want, but that are too expensive, or too hard to get. Understandable, but when this happens to me, I just learn to live without those things. It seems that people today have a sense of entitlement, where they must get everything they want, no matter what the method is.

This is all fine in theory, but I wonder how many practice it. Do you ever download movies or tv shows? What about music? Have you ever listened to a song via youtube that wasn't from the artists official channels? Legally (and ethically), there's no difference between any of those and downloading a ROM. But it seems among collectors, video games receive an exception because it is something they care about.

The internet is built upon piracy, and people's sense of morality can only extend so far. It flies in the face of logic to spend $100 or more to buy a video game when you could be playing it for free within seconds. At this point you are not really paying for the game per se, but you are paying for a certain premium way to play it.

You may use the law as an excuse, but that seems rather flimsy reasoning too. Do you always drive the speed limit? "Supporting the community" is also there, but the two do not have to be mutually exclusive.

And the final nail in the coffin of the issue of hating emulation:

Emulation ≠ illegal

The Virtual Console is a form of emulation. Nintendo makes money from it, and officially supports it. In fact, when you buy a game from a used game store instead of buying it on the virtual console Nintendo has missed an opportunity to make profit. If you care at all about supporting the "original developer" you'd buy the VC game along with your cart.

[Cloud121]

I use emulation primarily as a tool to try games out to see if I like them - a prime example being Mr. Do on the original gameboy. I loved it so much on the emulator I went out and bought a copy on ebay a few days later.

Same here. Though I also use it for the consoles I can and can't emulate. What I mean is, I have limited space in my game room's entertainment center for my classic consoles (All my 7th gen and newer consoles are in my living room). I have my PC-Engine, 3DO, Jaguar, Saturn, and Nintendo 64 all hooked up, as I can't properly emulate those. I play my NES, MegaDrive/Mega CD/32X, and Super Famicom games on my PC next to said entertainment center. It works out wonderfully.

[Robocop2]

Ifyour concern is the copyright holder not getting paid for the work, send them a donation or invent a time machine and buy it new. You're no more supporting the creator of a game by buying it from eBay or a m&p shop than you are securing a rom from the internet. I tend to think a lot of people who hate emulation are focused more on keeping the speculative value of their collections intact than in upholding copyright law. Because of course, a rare game that you can't just play the ROM via emu is going to command a higher price from the market simply because not only will collectors want it but folks who want to just play the game have to compete.

There is a certain difference between original hardware and emulators for sure but not to a degree that makes emulators horrible abominations.

[Jack_Burton_BYOAC]

There is a certain difference between original hardware and emulators for sure but not to a degree that makes emulators horrible abominations.

Indeed, in fact a case can be made that for certain systems emulators have reached a point where they can be considered to deliver the "superior" playing experience as long as you are not concerned with period correctness.

For example, Nestopia and Ootake can both be configured to output the native resolution of each system in RGB. This RGB does not suffer from the jailbar issue that is common with real hardware, and the overall quality of RGB signal is vastly superior. On the NES you may also use the regular RGB palette from a Playchoice/VS system, or you can use a custom palette that is closer to the "right" colors. This is impossible with real hardware.

[SpaceHarrier]

I feel dirty everytime I emulate, but once I started, I couldn't stop. Now I emulate nearly everyday, sometimes more than once. Most of the time I imagine Princess Peach, crying.

[7th lutz]

Emulation actually is something a person shouldn't completely hate.

I am saying that because homebrew game programmers actually want people to test the games in development. Using an emulator is great for feedback for homebrew programmers. A lot of the Atari 7800 homebrew games actually were tested by people that used emulators or curtle cart 2 before they got released on cartridge.

[A.C. Sativa]

I love emulators, just the fact that I can save whenever I want makes me prefer them over real hardware. Plus it saves wear and tear on the consoles I own and, of course, it's free. It's also more convenient, it's a lot easier to just store 1000+ games and the systems to play them on on a flash drive than have boxes of them laying all over my small apartment, and I can play anything I want in 2 seconds without even getting up.

And a lot of times emulators work even better than real hardware and games. There's no 10-NES chip or corroded contact pins or scratched discs or any of that crap when using an emulator, just plug in your controller, click the mouse a couple times, and you're good to go.

[treismac]

Emulation hating is silly. I can't understand being disappointed in less than accurate emulation of the original, but to harbor a blanket dislike against the ability to play old and sometimes hard to come by old video games on your computer over the original hardware is just nonsense. From test driving games, save states, using the Game Genie without wearing out my 72 pin connector, altering different visual elements, homebrews, hacks, fan translations, moonwalking with Mario, playing games from other regions, and just not having to hop up from my computer if I want to play a game, emulation has many virtues. I have a room packed full of original hardware, games, and crts, so I understand wanting to seek the most optimal, authentic, nostalgic, and pure experience. If someone doesn't want to use emulation, fine, but, please, get off of your high horse when you do.


Emulation ≠ illegal

The Virtual Console is a form of emulation. Nintendo makes money from it, and officially supports it. In fact, when you buy a game from a used game store instead of buying it on the virtual console Nintendo has missed an opportunity to make profit. If you care at all about supporting the "original developer" you'd buy the VC game along with your cart.

&


If your concern is the copyright holder not getting paid for the work, send them a donation or invent a time machine and buy it new. You're no more supporting the creator of a game by buying it from eBay or a m&p shop than you are securing a rom from the internet.

Exactly. For those who have moral issues with emulation, this echoes my response. Purchasing any video game second-hand, retro or modern, diverts money out of the pockets of the original creators just as much as emulation. The issue gets even grayer with games when the intellectual property and rights have been sold to a new company. My purchase of River City Ransom on the Wii's Virtual Console doesn't put a single dime in the pocket of Technos, which is now defunct, nor does my ownership of two copies of the original NES cartridge.

[JSoup]

Never had a problem with emulation, use it all the time. There are plenty of great and no so great GameBoy games out there that I'd never get to play otherwise. The only modern games I've pirated were anything GBA (when it was new) and Wii.

[IHatedSega]

I hope all this good feedback to my side of thought doesnt put off anyone who sincerely has problems with it.

[Loganm187]

I find I only enjoy emulation if it's MAME because well, I can't afford or have a place to put arcade cabs lol. I have a game room full of console games and a mame set up with every arcade game. I never feel like I'm being cheated when using mame with a nice stick. I will never emulate a console game unless it's something like a fan translation of a game I really want to play. (Policenauts for example but I actually purchased the game from japan to rip on my system.)

[The 1 2 P]

I don't hate emulation, I just don't use it. I would rather use the original hardware and games the way they were meant to be used. But I can see the appeal for those who just want to save space by having less systems or who prefer to play on their PC as opposed to playing on a console or handheld.

[IHatedSega]

I will never emulate a console game unless it's something like a fan translation of a game I really want to play. (Policenauts for example but I actually purchased the game from japan to rip on my system.)

Is it a kind of moral reason then?

[Bubble_Man]

This is pretty much an echo of what others have already said, but I am pro-emulation. It allows people to play games with restrictively high prices and buying 2nd hand games doesn't put a penny in the developers' pockets anyway. I also believe that emulation is neccessary for the long-term preservation of retro games. As the years progress, we don't know what games will remain available through services such as the virtual console. A lot of games will never be released for such services to begin with because of licensing issues.

[Edmond Dantes]

I don't hate emulation, but by and large I avoid using emulators for a personal reason.

First off, in the past emulators inspired bad habits in me. I used to always use save states, for example, even in games that didn't support saving naturally (I remember beating Shinobi III this way). When I tried to game again on an actual console, I found I had become... something of a pussy. If I couldn't reach over and press F5 whenever I felt a little insecure I would have a breakdown.

Secondly, I find when I use emulators I start getting a "gotta catch 'em all!" attitude towards games. I first download games I actually own in physical form, under the pretense that it was a backup... then it becomes "well, why not download this too" and then "download this as well, why not?" until finally I see no harm in just hitting up any given rom site and downloading everything they have. It becomes more about having the game than actually playing it, and when I'm done I have so many games that its mind-boggling to choose just one to play.

These are both habits that I have trained myself out of. But like a crack addict, if I touch an emulator it all starts up again. So I limit myself to games I actually own and payed for.

[IHatedSega]

You know, thats a thing about PS3 games like Portal, you can quick save in them like with an emulator. :S I actually didnt like that.

[Dr. BaconStein]

I don't hate emulation in general, in fact I think it's a great way to enjoy old games (or try them before buying them if you collect), but I'm annoyed by some of the logic people tend to use in regards to it. The whole notion that a modern game system is only valuable once it's hacked, or that clones are "junk" because they're not emulation boxes (honestly how does that even work? They're TOYS) just irritates me.

As someone who is currently using an Android device to emulate all of my old games, I can certainly say it's useful, but it's not the only way to play games, and there's a lot more to video games than whether or not you can emulate/pirate/etc. And if you're going to download a current-gen game from your PC (like Wii), at least buy it first. The developers deserve better than that.

[kedawa]

Emulation has been a godsend for fighting game fans. Thanks to GGPO, Supercade, etc., there is a thriving community of players online, and publishers have even licensed the technology for commercial re-releases. None of that would have been possible without emulation.
The same goes for many other emulation programs, which have been licensed and used for packaged compilations.

There is definitely room for improvement, especially with regards to accuracy, but there's no denying that emulation is the future of retro gaming.

[MidnightRider]

I don't hate emulation, but by and large I avoid using emulators for a personal reason.

First off, in the past emulators inspired bad habits in me. I used to always use save states, for example, even in games that didn't support saving naturally (I remember beating Shinobi III this way). When I tried to game again on an actual console, I found I had become... something of a pussy. If I couldn't reach over and press F5 whenever I felt a little insecure I would have a breakdown.

Secondly, I find when I use emulators I start getting a "gotta catch 'em all!" attitude towards games. I first download games I actually own in physical form, under the pretense that it was a backup... then it becomes "well, why not download this too" and then "download this as well, why not?" until finally I see no harm in just hitting up any given rom site and downloading everything they have. It becomes more about having the game than actually playing it, and when I'm done I have so many games that its mind-boggling to choose just one to play.

These are both habits that I have trained myself out of. But like a crack addict, if I touch an emulator it all starts up again. So I limit myself to games I actually own and payed for.

As someones who's been emulating almost as long as emulation's been a thing, I can tell you, eventually it'll come down to what you've always liked, and some you've discovered since. There are complete rom sets these days, if you know where to look. That's a lot easier to deal with than trying to grab everything individually. Emulation makes you want to explore, but you do outgrow it eventually, and it becomes just another way you play video games.

I've learned to only use a save state in basically one of 3 situations:
1) Beginning of each stage. I'll go through the entire stage myself, but I may not want to run through the previous 5 stages to get there again. This is honestly no(or not much) worse than a game that had a password system. As long as you're not save stating after every obstacle, enemy, or whatever, it should still be your own skill getting you through. I've honestly not done this in quite a while though. If you just want to get to the end, you'll do whatever it takes to get there. If you want the challenge, you'll take the challenge, whether you can use save states or not.

2) The games running kind of long, and I have to go/want to go to bed.

3) Back up save for a game that naturally saves. Emulators tend to not save until the game/emulator has been turned off, so an emulator crash, or power outage can screw you over without a save state.

[Tanooki]

Secondly, I find when I use emulators I start getting a "gotta catch 'em all!" attitude towards games. I first download games I actually own in physical form, under the pretense that it was a backup... then it becomes "well, why not download this too" and then "download this as well, why not?" until finally I see no harm in just hitting up any given rom site and downloading everything they have. It becomes more about having the game than actually playing it, and when I'm done I have so many games that its mind-boggling to choose just one to play.


Love this post, had this problem too with your secondly party quoted. I used to have a truck load of stuff and then you never get around to playing most of it, or you end up using it just once, and worse you could be in the mood for something and spend time with a huge list to get confused or discouraged and just quit. Same has been a problem for me with large compilation items like say that Sega Genesis disc for the PC or PS3 with like 50 games on it. It's nice, it's cheap, and then I can't focus and end up never using it. I for one tossed all the mass and did keep to just copies of carts I have and did it for years and never did get into the 'just one more' thing as I knew where I was and hated it.

On your other point I never did like or use save states, hate them, they're chickens ways out. But, that said due to the problem above of ease of use also means ease of being pissed and just stopping vs having to get up, flip the tv off, get the game out, and put the stuff away. I'm more willing to take some abuse not having to put it up vs going 'f this shit' and then clicking the big red X. The over ease of use got me out of playing as well because I'd just stop.

[wiggyx]

"Hating" emulation is folly. And it's going to become even more so as time passes and a majority of young gamers who grew up with the concept see less of a problem with it.

Do you have a problem with VHS? DVD? Are you aware those movies you watched as a kid were essentially being seen on a postage stamp compared to the cinema? Even Blu-ray can't convey all the information on a 35 or 70mm film. What I'm getting at is that while accuracy is a noble pursuit, for this generation of emulation users all the drawbacks aren't even thought of as being anything wrong at all. Playing on legit hardware is seen as rather cute, or something for purists/geeks.

Well said.

I prefer originals for a myriad of reasons, but I'd be a huge liar if I said that I don't employ emulation from time to time, especially on portables.

[Griking]

I like emulation myself.

It may not ever replicate the feeling of playing a game on its original console but it more than makes up for it in convenience and the ability to try out a game that you may not have had the chance to find

[brainerdrainer]

I don't hate it, I just never use it and don't want to. It's not for me

[Wraith Storm]

I dont hate emulation. I have used it in the past to "try out" games and see if I want to buy them but I have never seriously played a game on an emulator because it just feels generic.

There is something to be said for getting a cartridge off the shelf, plugging it into the system, holding the controller in your hands and flipping the power switch. It adds to the unique feel and identity of each system and this is completely lost in emulation.

To me, the video game experience is much more than just whats on the screen. Those are my feelings on the matter...

[Derxst]

Playing on real consoles is far better than emulation.

Plus having all my consoles connected gives me something to have in my geek man cave!

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

I have used emulation in the past. Mostly for playing a game or 2 for a system that I didn't have hooked up. Since they were Sega CD games that I was playing off of the original disk, there was no concern about piracy and that nonsense. The only other game that I can recall playing on an emulator in the recent past is one that I might drag out tomorrow, for obvious reasons. That would be Daze Before Christmas for the Mega Drive. I figure that would be easier than dragging out one of my Saturns to play some Christmas NiGHTS.

Actually, now that I think about it, emulation may have helped me to beat a game. That would be Vay for the Sega CD. For some reason, if your character got the "double attack", it would stick and every attack would be a double and every enemy attack would miss. This seemed like it would last until the next time a character actually got a "double attack" or missed on an attack. Very helpful with the bosses. :evil laugh:

[treismac]

There is something to be said for getting a cartridge off the shelf, plugging it into the system, holding the controller in your hands and flipping the power switch. It adds to the unique feel and identity of each system and this is completely lost in emulation.

Well said. :)

[treismac]

Oh, I almost forgot!!!! Playing a game of Contra or Double Dragon II with your buddy who lives on the other coast of the country with NEStopia is proof enough for the merit of emulation. :D

[emb]

I think of emulation as being a way to preserve hardware --"preservation of hardware through software". While it does not completely replicate the feel of the hardware, it at least gives you a taste of what the games were like.

Emulators are also a great way to help you decide if you should look for that game when hunting (unless if you are looking for an entire collection).

[Jack_Burton_BYOAC]

There is something to be said for getting a cartridge off the shelf, plugging it into the system, holding the controller in your hands and flipping the power switch. It adds to the unique feel and identity of each system and this is completely lost in emulation.

To me, the video game experience is much more than just whats on the screen. Those are my feelings on the matter...

I am in complete agreement with you, however, the "proper" way of playing classic games is very much up in the air at this point as emulators, re-releases, and clones systems remain popular and in existence.

Speaking from a personal standpoint, I have a certain fondness for the early days of the scene. In or around 1999 or so I lived in a rural part of the country, and PC's were still not a common household item. I enrolled in the "advanced computers" class in my high school, and I was able to spend time each day playing Nesticle on a 486DX machine. Using that emulator I was able to play famicom exclusives for the first time. Later on, NeoRAGE opened up a whole new world that had previously been completely closed off to me. This required carrying dozens of 3 1/4 floppy discs around with me at all times. And of course, controls were always keyboard only. When I think about the first time I played Super Mario Bros. 2 J, or King of Fighters, I think about those days.

What I'm getting at is that we are in an age now where people can have nostalgia for emulation

[Tron 2.0]

Hate emulation,not really because let's face it what's on cartridge and discs will not last forever.I still prefer playing the game on it's original hardware.The thing with emulation it indeed does gives you that instant gratification 'making it easy to play any thing.The problem it takes away the appreciation of the game if you haven't played it before.I remember when i use to use mame.Sure i could play any arcade title that i wanted and it was great.Still with mame i had a hard time finishing the game because it had so many choices.So even today i try to hang onto the consoles i have beside rebuilding my collection of past console ive owned.Last year i got a genesis again and this year a sfc,but it's a good thing there are flashcard for those console it let's me keep there collections small.

[RetroRich]

I use my modded xbox to play any cartridge based game that I actually own. Because to me, emulation is a better experience over console. Games look better, save states, etc.

This keeps me from getting overwhelmed because the amount of cartridge games I own is small. I still collect, because I like having a physical copy, even if i may never use it, it's good to know that I have a way to play the game in case my xbox breaks. I don't like playing on a PC, I like that my xbox is connected to a crt tv.

[IHatedSega]

Yeah, Ive been thinking of actually buying an XBOX hahaha, but just to get like 6 actual games thatd Id want, and then mainly use it for emulation.

And this episode of one of my favorite internet shows really hones in on why emulation is important. He knows about it, but didnt say the answer to his concerns was emulation. I wonder why.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjaHeAIfhbg

[Ed Oscuro]

Im just wondering if someone hates it when someone says theyve emulated an NES game.
These days I pretty much reserve my real stuff for special occasions.

Emulation has a long ways to go though - even the classics, since a lot of the emulators are getting a bit long in the tooth, and bleh LCDs. (Mine's not bad though.)

Playing on real consoles is far better than emulation.
For me it depends from case to case. I realized that I oddly often prefer playing N64 games via emulation (and I haven't even touched 1964 UltraFast), but not PlayStation games (prefer using my original PlayStation for those).

[Namnuta]

I personally love emulation for when im traveling. I have SNES and NES controllers wired USB for my ultrabook. Nothing like playing NES/SNES/NEOGEO or MAME games on a long plane ride, and having the proper controllers makes it feel almost exactly the same. I honestly couldn't imagine flying without my emulators.

I dont use any emulation at home except for my 2 MAME cabs.

I honestly dont feel like emulation is piracy at all. Im not taking anything from the original developer. But i own almost all the common consoles, and have a huge library of games.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

hating emulation is quite stupid. Unless you're talking about BAD emulation. 1:1 emulation is flawless.