Classic Gaming: Consoles Vs. Emulators

There is much debate in the classic gaming community over whether emulators or the original game consoles are a better way to play and enjoy retro games. Each have pros and cons and can offer some benefits over the other.

Gaming Experience

Nothing beats the experience of playing a game the way it was meant to be played in it’s original format with it’s original controls. Something about playing a game the exact same way you played it when it was first released is amazing; from putting the cartridge into the system to holding the original controller. 

The picture and sound quality is also much better when playing the game how it was originally meant to be played. Emulators tend to have poorer sound and picture quality than the original console. There may also be glitches in some games on emulators, or games that won’t play at all (SixtyForce, I’m looking at you!). 

It is also better to play games with their original controllers. Sure, you can get USB reproductions of your favorite controllers, but those can get pricey. If you are too cheap to buy game carts (a lot of which you can get for $ 1-$ 5 anymore) you probably aren’t going to want to spend $ 30+ for each controller. Most likely, you would be using a cheaper all-purpose gamepad for all of your emulators. If you are serious enough about classic gaming to want the original controllers, you might as well just buy the original systems and game carts as well.

*Tip: I would also use a CRT television for classic gaming. I know, you are in love with your HD TVs, but classic games will usually look better on a CRT screen. Don’t let this tip scare you away from playing your video games, however. I mean, it was good enough for you just few short years ago, right?

Space

One of the biggest reasons that some people choose emulation over the actual console is space. But, if you know how to maximize your space, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Most game systems don’t really take up that much space anyway. Besides, don’t you want to impress your friends/family/neighbors with a huge, visible, game collection? Something about a wall of game carts seems more impressive than a few folders on an external hard drive.

*Another tip: If you don’t have enough room on your current entertainment center to keep all of your systems, those plastic storage carts work wonders. If you want a simple 3 drawer cart, this will run you about $ 10. I have a 7 drawer cart to store three systems in the larger drawers, games for each in the top three smaller ones, and handheld systems in the fourth smaller drawer. There should be enough space in the back of these carts to run the cables through.

Legal and Moral Issues

One of most obvious considerations for emulators is legality. A lot people who are new to emulation are confused as to what is legal regarding emulators. While the emulator programs themselves are legal, most ROMs (a ROM image is the file containing a copy of the data found on the original game carts or discs) are illegal. Exceptions include homebrewgames, games for which you have written permission from the developers to have a copy of the game (I seriously doubt anyone actually has this permission), and games that you own in their original form and have simply made a back up copy of using your own cart/disc.

Abandonware is a grey area. Abandonware is software that has, for all intents and purposes, been abandoned by its developer. Abandonware is no longer sold or supported and the company really has nothing to lose by individuals having pirated copies of the software. Most classic games are considered abandonware. If a company is still making a profit off of the game, such as games that are available on the Wii’s Virtual Console, it cannot be consideredabandonware because it has not actually been abandoned. 

There has never been a documented case of anyone getting into legal trouble by downloading ROMs. At most, the websites hosting the ROMs will be shut down, but even if your favorite ROM site has been shut down, there are always more to find via a quick Google Search. It should also be noted that, while most video game websites allow the discussion of emulators, direct discussion of where to find ROMs (i.e. posting a link to a ROM hosting website) is generally forbidden. 

I see nothing morally wrong with using emulators for classic gaming, however it is wrong to emulate modern games that are currently in production. You are also more likely to get into legal trouble if you try to use pirated copies of a PS3 game than, say, an Atari 2600 game. Using emulators for modern systems is no different than making pirated copies of games to play on the actual console, and this is most definitely illegal. Emulation is a great way to preserve and continue to enjoy rare out of print games, and it should not be abused by trying to get out of paying for current games.

When to Use Emulators or Consoles

Even though consoles are a better choice overall, there are some situations in which emulators are a better choice. 

Some games were only available in other countries, such as Japan, and are near impossible to find in America. Even if you import, they may not work in your American system, due to region locking. If you want to play these games, the only choice may be to download a ROM.

Another issue with foreign games is the language barrier. Some games that were only produced in Japanese have been translated to English by fans and released online as ROMs. For games that have a lot of text, such as RPGs, the translated ROM is generally the best way to enjoy the game.

Emulators are also handy for when you want to play a classic video game on the go. You might own the official release of a game, but you still want to play it between classes or while waiting for your flight. By having an emulator on your laptop, you can enjoy your favorite games anywhere. 

In Conclusion

Overall, the original console is a better choice than emulation for classic gaming. You get the original experience of playing the game and you don’t have to worry about legal issues. Emulation also has it’s place in classic gaming, but should only be used for games that are otherwise unavailable to you or when you don’t have access to your game consoles. Consoles are a much better choice for serious gamers.

This article was originally published at: Classic Gaming: Consoles Vs. Emulators

Question by dejele: What game shows do you enjoy and best reflect your competitive spirit?
I enjoy word games and miss the Pyramid and Pass Word.

Best answer:

Answer by Baxter Dewall
Jeopardy, I know a little something about everything.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!