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3 Games That Make A Nintendo 3DS Worth Owning [MUO Gaming]

Dave LeClair — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:01:40 +0000

The Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system got off to a rocky start, but it seems to be finding its stride as time goes on. In my opinion, the reason for this is that there are finally games on the platform worth playing. The system launched with an abysmal lineup that featured gems such as Steel Driver, a rehash of Super Street Fighter IV and a terrible excuse for a Madden game. Times have changed, and Nintendo has taken things into their own hands, pushing some of their biggest first party games to the platform just in time for this past holiday shopping season.

Nintendo platforms tend to be fueled by first party games, and it seems like the 3DS is no exception. That is not a knock against them, while they have a hard time getting many solid third-party games, having a loyal fan following that purchases anything with Mario or Zelda on the box nets Nintendo tons of money. These three games fall under that category, and the fact of the matter is, they are insanely good. They all have a Metacritic rating of over 85, with two having 90 or better. If you own a 3DS, you must play these games.

Super Mario 3D Land

It took Nintendo longer than expected to bring a proper Mario game to the 3DS, but when they did, they did it in style. Super Mario 3D Land shows exactly what the 3DS can do. You would think that after nearly 30 years the Mario formula would be tired, but you would be wrong. Nintendo consistently finds new ways to tweak and change the gameplay, keeping it fresh and exciting while still maintaining the feel that gamers expect from Mario.

What makes this game so special is the way it uses the 3D. Instead of just being a cheesy visual gimmick like it is for most games, it is actually integral to the gameplay. In making 3D a mechanic of the game, instead of just a visual trick, they have shown other developers what the 3DS can really do. They took what appeared to be a gimmick and made it essential for solving puzzles and navigating the world.

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time 3D

What can I say about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that has not already been said? It is arguably (almost factually) the best video game ever made for any platform, and now it is available on the 3DS for gamers to bring the adventure wherever they go. The remake received universal praise, and has a Metacritic rating of 94 out of 100. Personally, if I was to review it, I would give it a 95, it really is that damn good, even all these years later.

The controls on the 3DS work well, and while it does not do anything groundbreaking with 3D like Mario, it is still an awesome remake of the one of the best video games ever made. It looks beautiful on the 3DS screen and is just as much fun to play as it ever was. If you own a 3DS, you need to play this game. For a new generation of gamers who may not have experienced Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 64, this is their chance to have the time of their life.

Mario Kart 7

It is hard to believe that Mario Kart has been around for seven games, but here we are. Essentially, Nintendo releases the same game repeatedly with Mario Kart, and yet, it is still good every time. Mario Kart 7 does not do anything to revolutionize the cart-racing genre, but the thing is, it does not need to. Nintendo has the perfect formula, and changing it too much would just make it worse. As the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Of course, Nintendo made small tweaks that take this Mario cart to a new level. There are new tracks and items to play with. They also implemented a well-made gyro control system so you can steer your cart by tilting your 3DS. Nintendo added a gliding mechanic that can really shake up a race if used properly. They threw in some new modes to keep things fresh and fun. They did not take anything that made Mario Kart great away from the game; they just added some fun to new layers to make it even better.

Conclusion

If you own a 3DS, you need to play these games. They have made the system actually worth owning. They are Nintendo staple franchises and they are all done right. They remind me of why we all were so excited when the 3DS was first announced at E3 a couple of years ago. Go to your local games shop and get these games; you will not regret it.

What games made it worth owning a 3DS for you? Let us know in the comments!

How To Get Free Games For Your Wii Or Nintendo 3DS (Not A Scam!)

Justin Pot — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:30:29 +0000

Get free games for your Wii or Nintendo 3DS, for real. It’s not a scam: all you need to do is register games you’ve already purchased and cash in the resulting points.

If you’ve never bothered to register your Nintendo games, you can’t be blamed. Until recently the prizes were mostly either useless or way too expensive, at least in North America. “Grill Off With Ultra Hand” is an amusing arcade game, but who needs screensavers or note pads?

This all changed last month, when Nintendo announced it planned to give away two different games to Club Nintendo members every month. The first two games, Super Mario Kart (SNES) and Fluidity, suggest Nintendo is planning on giving away some pretty nice titles.

Step One: Find Your Pin Numbers

First things first: you’re going to need to find numbers to enter online. Open the boxes of your Nintendo games and look for a red card like this:

This card includes a number, which you can use to register your game. If you’ve got a Wii or a DS, check the box it came in: recent systems also came with one worth quite a few points.

Wondering if a game or device you own qualifies? Check this list. Some cards might have expired, of course, but it doesn’t harm to check.

Step Two: Register Your Games

Head to club.nintendo.com and register. You’ll find a simple place to enter your newly found number:

Enter your number and voila: you’ll get some points. What to do now? Cash them in for games, of course!

Step Three: Get Your Free Games

Assuming you registered two games successfully, you have enough points to get at least one game. Click the game you want on the Rewards page, then click the game you want. The best games should be at the top, under “Featured.” These games will change regularly, so just wait a while if you don’t like any of the games currently being offered.

Once you click the game you want, you’ll see this on the right side if you can afford to download:

If you can’t afford a given game, you’ll see something like this:

Assuming you can afford the game, simply cash in your pieces and download! You should check out these instructions if you’re not sure how to download games to your Wii or DS. Basically: you need to enter a special code into the store of your gaming system and enjoy the ensuing download.

Sadly, each of these codes can only be used once.

Conclusion

I downloaded Fluidity for Wii with my points, and I’m not disappointed. It’s a fun game with amazing, liquid-based controls and way more than what I was expecting from a free download. I’m not sure what will be offered by the time this article is published, so check it out! I’m looking forward to more new games.

If this is the quality of games Nintendo is going to offer, it’s well worth registering your games from now on. What games would you like to download for free? Let me know in the comments below!

3 Reasons Why Nintendo Took A Financial Downturn [MUO Gaming]

Dave LeClair — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:01:00 +0000

It was not long ago that Nintendo was setting the video game world on fire with the two most popular gaming systems on the market. Sony and Microsoft were in an epic battle for second place, because there was no point in even trying to beat the Wii in console sales. Nintendo was literally outselling the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 combined without even breaking a sweat and on top of it, their system was actually profitable, whereas Sony and Microsoft were initially posting losses on every unit sold. The Nintendo DS could have easily been the only handheld gaming system on the market, because the PlayStation Portable was selling like a lead balloon.

All this leads me to one question – what the heck happened? Nintendo announced their earnings, or lack thereof, for the 6 months leading up to September 2011, and they posted a $926 million (70.3 billion yen) loss. That number is staggering. The company which seemingly could do no wrong two years ago is losing almost a billion dollars in a period of only 6 months. This obviously is not a matter of luck, or unfortunate timing. There has to be a reason Nintendo is taking a financial beating.

They Entered the Fad Market

How many people do you see riding around town on a Razor scooter? Do you still see little kids walking down the street playing with their Tamagochi? Do you remember when Tickle Me Elmo was not available in any store because every kid had to have one? This is exactly the market Nintendo entered with the Wii. They tried to capture the interest of the casual gamer, and left the hardcore gamers behind. At the time, you could not argue with the results. Their system was selling gangbusters, and the money was coming in huge in a way that Nintendo had not seen in a long time.

Things were looking great for Nintendo, but slowly console sales slowed down, which is pretty standard in the console business, as Microsoft and Sony were not moving anywhere near the units they used to. The difference between their situations is that the Wii was a fad for all these “casual” gamers. They bought their Wii, played Wii Sports and never went to the store to purchase another game again. This meant that once the initial sale of the console was complete, Nintendo and third-party developers were not seeing another cent from those customers.

The fact is, fads are great for a short time but it is the “hardcore” gamers, who support a company for the long haul by purchasing software, downloadable content and accessories for their console, and with the Wii, Nintendo did not capture much of that market, and they are taking a financial beating because of it.

The 3DS Price Fiasco

The Nintendo DS has sold an insane amount of units throughout its life. Part of the reason for this was innovative dual screen design, and the awesome touch screen interface. A huge part of this was also the fact that the system was affordable for pretty much anyone. For gamers, being able to take all their favorite Nintendo games like Mario, Zelda and Pokémon with them on the go for a reasonable price was a winning proposition.

Flash forward a few years and along comes the Nintendo 3DS. It stole the show at E3, the first year the press could actually play with the device. Members of the media (myself included) waited in line for half a day at E3 just to get our hands on the device for a few minutes. We were blown away. The graphics looked great for a portable system, and the 3D actually worked. It looked like another big win for Nintendo.

After a time of happiness, Nintendo announced the price. $250 for a portable system sounded like an absolute formula for disaster. To put in perspective, an Xbox 360 starts at $199, a PlayStation 3 starts at $249, a Wii starts at $139, and a Sony PSP starts at $139. It seems hard for me to accept purchasing a portable system for the same or more than an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 (although I bought one for the full 250, go figure).

Of course, Nintendo lowered the price of the 3DS to $169, and gave people who bought the system at full price 20 free downloadable games, but the damage had been done already.

Apple

This one might sound a little crazy, but it is hard to ignore the power of iOS as a gaming platform. The recently launched iPhone 4S sold over 4 million units in the first weekend. All of those people, plus the millions of other iPhone and iPod Touch users are potential customers for Apple’s app store. Each one of them could become a gamer, even if they only spend a dollar on Angry Birds or Words With Friends.

I will admit that I prefer to do my portable gaming on my iPhone because I do not have to carry an extra piece of hardware with me, and I am sure there are other people who feel the same way. Nintendo’s President has even said that the iPhone is hurting gaming because their prices for games are too low, and they devalue games in general. If Satoru Iwata is taking notice of the iPhone, we know it has to be more than just a small blip on Nintendo’s radar.

There was a time when gaming on a phone meant nothing to a company like Nintendo. Playing snake on a phone just could not compare to playing games like Mario Kart and Zelda on a handheld gaming system, but times have changed, and some iPhone games look better than DS and 3DS games. It is hard for Nintendo to sell a system for $169 and games for $30 when you can get an iPod Touch for $199, and quality games for around a dollar.

Conclusion

Nintendo is releasing a new Wii, which will have much improved graphics and another completely new and creative controller design. I hope that the Wii U, along with the price reduction on the 3DS will pull them out of this slump. Only time will tell, but Nintendo has a track record of correcting the ship when it seems like they are dead in the water.

What do you think are the reasons Nintendo is suffering financially now? What could they do to get back on track? Let us know in the comments!

Is The Wii All It’s Cracked Up To Be Or Has Nintendo Lost The Plot? [Opinion]

James Bruce — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 19:01:10 +0000

The Wii was a ground-breaking device when it was released in 2006, and there is no doubt that it paved the way for motion gaming and indeed bringing together every generation of a family for console gaming antics – but 5 years down the line and with the successor Wii U announced, is it all it cracked up to be? Has Nintendo finally lost the plot?

Motion Controls & The Mountain Of White Crap

The Wii was the first console to bring motion control to the masses with their innovative little Wii Remote, which combined not only a tilt(meter?) and accelerometer, but a reverse-infrared pointing device and a little speaker inside the remote too.

Pretty soon it was discovered though that rather than actually performing the described motion, a quick flick of the wrist was basically all that was needed to win most games. So as a gaming controller, I’d say it failed on a fundamental level. I still think it’s an amazing bit of technology, but just not for gaming. Heck, I’m much more impressed with some of the amazing hacks that pioneers such as Johnny-Lee (now working for Microsoft) got out of it. [Skip to 3:50 for the best bit]

Then of course we can’t forget the infamous Wii accessories…

For any “serious” gamer, and I put that in quotes because they aren’t really any serious games on the Wii – you needed a traditional previous-generation GameCube controller. So now you have 4 Wii Remotes and 4 GameCube controllers sitting next to the Wii.

So how about a dancing game? Go purchase a dancing mat! Fitness game? You’ll be wanting the Balance Board then! Racing game – may I recommend the official steering wheel? Sports game? How about a ridiculous plastic handle for that Wii Remote. Shooting game? We have just the perfect gun-shaped cover for you, sir!

Sure, on the one hand you might argue that the Remote is so versatile that with a little bit of injection-moulding you can turn it into anything! On the other hand, I’d say you end up spending a ridiculous amount of money and are left with a literal mountain of white plastic crap. Not only is this evident of bad design, it’s a disaster for the environment.

The power of kinesthetics is not be underestimated though. It’s a secret that elementary school teachers have known for a while – when you move your body, you learn while having fun. It’s so simple, and it works. The Wii tapped into that power and brought together generations of the same family on the same gaming console – and for that it deserves its place in history. The Wii boldly carved out an entirely new market – away from the traditionally rather elitist gaming community. Granny doesn’t want to sit and mash hundreds of buttons for Street Fighter, but give her a Wii Remote to waggle around and she’ll be happy to go through the motions of bowling.

But things have moved on since then, and the Wii U has been announced as the official successor to the Wii. So what magic does it have this time?

The Wii U – Must Be Kidding Right?

Nintendo decided to up their game this time in regards to graphics, which is probably a good thing because the Wii’s graphical abilities were outdated before it was even launched. In fact, it was no more than their last generation GameCube, repackaged with a new controller. They must have blown the R&D budget on that Wii Remote.

Apart from an updated graphics chip, what innovative new features does the Wii U bring? Another new controller! And this one has a screen! Check out the official E3 trailer for an overview.

That’s a lot to take in one video, so I give you a moment to catch your breath. I’m sure your first impressions are along the lines of “wow, that’s so cool!” but let’s just think about it all for a moment.

First off, despite being a controller and a screen that works wirelessly, I should make it quite clear that this is not a portable gaming device. That’s called a Nintendo DS, and you can be certain Nintendo wouldn’t try to kill off their portable division (although it looks like the 3DS might have done that for them anyway).

How does this spiffy new controller differ from a Nintendo DS, apart from being crippled for portable gaming? I mean, it has wireless connectivity, a touch screen, and could feasibly be connected to the console – in fact, Nintendo played with this idea before with the previous generation Game Boy Advance that could be wired up to the GameCube. Are they actually going to sell everyone a crippled Nintendo DS? It would seem that way.

Notice how it works with a lot of the old controllers too – like the balance board. So really, it’s just another accessory they’re trying to sell you now. Nice one, Nintendo.

Now you have to ask yourself – is all this really that impressive? The touch screen, the mini games you can play on it, the video chat, the quasi-VR interactions – it all reminds me somewhat of an iPad, but more gimmicky. The only difference is that the Nintendo device is really, really ugly. Perhaps I’m just a little too accustomed to the sleek industrial design of Apple, but this thing really does look the creative design department took a 4 year holiday and left the accountants in charge.

So I’m sorry Nintendo, but I really do think you’ve lost the plot. The Wii was remarkable. The Wii U won’t sell as remotely well, but with any luck it’ll be backward compatible with all the Wii Remotes and upscale old games to 720p, so at least you can keep selling all of those to the old folks homes that haven’t made the plunge yet. Even your shareholders are crying out for you to make iPad and iPhone games. Is the end in sight? I think so. What do you think?

Play Wii & Gamecube Games In HD On Your PC With Dolphin Emulator [Windows & Mac]

Tim Brookes — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 01:31:56 +0000

The Nintendo Wii will go down in the virtual pages of history as being one of the most successful consoles of all time. The somewhat under-powered machine has been on the market since 2006 and has sold well partly due to its competetive price point and partly due to the groundbreaking motion controls.

As well as being a fun and accessible console system, the Wii has racked up quite a collection of games over its lifespan and now, thanks to the wonders of emulation and Dolphin, you can enjoy Wii games, Wiiware, Wii Channels, Virtual Console and Gamecube releases in glorious HD on your Windows or Mac computer. You can even connect multiple Wiimotes and a sensor bar for the full Wii experience, with visuals you never thought possible.

Note: Despite the fact that Dolphin works on the PC & Mac, this walkthrough has been completed using the Windows version and thus contains some advice not applicable to Mac users.

Download & Install

You can download the latest version of Dolphin from the downloads page on the official site. The official system requirements are quite vague, though you’ll need a fast processor that supports SSE2 (the more cores the better) and a graphics card that supports Pixel Shader 2.0 or better.

There are two versions for Windows – 32bit and 64bit (if you’re not sure right click Computer in your Windows menu and choose Properties) – and a single Mac OS X install. The version I downloaded for Windows was packed with 7zip, though there are a host of archive managers that will extract the files.

Once the archive has downloaded, extract it to a location of your choice, and remember where you put it. After extraction you will be able to run Dolphin by double clicking Dolphin.exe. I’d recommend testing it straight away, as you might receive a nasty error or two.

On Windows one of these errors (VCOMP100.DLL not found) is caused by a missing Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package. 32bit users can download this here, and 64bit users here. You will also need the DirectX 9 End-User Runtime if you haven’t already got it. By the time you have downloaded and installed these dependencies, you should be able to launch Dolphin.exe.

Connect Wiimotes

Next you’ll want to connect your Wiimotes so that you can actually play using a real controller. There are other options, though you can’t beat the real thing and this is what we’ll be focusing on here. If you want to use the pointer then you’re going to need to buy a wireless infrared sensor bar and set that up on top or below your monitor, though you won’t need one for every game.

Before attempting to connect your controller make sure Bluetooth is set up on your machine, either via an internal chip or external dongle. On Windows, Wiimotes are connected by right clicking your Bluetooth icon in the system tray and choosing Add a Device. When the dialogue loads, hold the 1 and 2 buttons down on your Wiimote until the LEDs begin rapidly flashing.

Your PC should have detected the Wiimote as Nintendo RVL-CNT-01, select it and choose Pair Without a Code. You won’t need to install drivers or anything – your Wiimote is now Windows ready (you’ll need to pair it with your Wii to use your console again, if you have one).

Next go back to Dolphin and click on the Wiimotes button. Hit refresh and your Wiimote should buzz and assign itself a number denoting that it’s been found. Well done, you can now use your Wiimote with Dolphin. If you want multiple controllers then simply repeat the process.

Playing Games

The exciting bit! Dolphin gives you the option of launching games via your optical drive from original game discs, and from disc image files of games. As always, I must mention that downloading games you do not legally own is against the law. Then again there’s very little wrong with creating backups from your own discs or supplementing your physical copy with a downloaded image someone has already created.

With your Wii game or disc image to hand, launch either by clicking File then Boot From DVD Drive or by clicking Open and choosing a Wii game image on your hard drive. When you’ve made your selection the game will launch, probably windowed if you’ve yet to alter display settings.

You might find that the game you launched is either too slow, too fast or glitchy. Don’t worry, tweaking Dolphin so that it’s perfectly set up isn’t too hard with the performance guide on the official site. This will also give you a few tips about playing games in HD, which basically entails turning the resolution up (if you hadn’t worked it out already).

Naturally, if your PC didn’t handle the standard resolution very well then you’re not going to have very much joy at higher resolutions.

Conclusion

That’s pretty much it! You can find lists of compatible games on the official wiki, which should help guide you in the right direction. I tried New Super Mario Bros, A Boy and His Blob and Muramasa The Demon Blade on my aging Core2Duo with an 8400m. Initially the first two were not operating at full speed, with Demon Blade averaging 70% speed. After a quick performance tweak they’re all up to playable speed, so I’d better stop writing this article and get gaming…

Did you enjoy this how to? Have you tried it yourself? Do you use Wiimotes on your PC for other tasks? Let us know in the comments below.

Super Mario Brothers X: The Best Fan-Made Mario Game Ever [Windows]

Justin Pot — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:31:56 +0000

Check out the ultimate in fan-created Mario goodness: Super Mario Brothers X. This game combines elements from every Mario game ever made into one, and the result is a lot of fun. While the level design is far from perfect you shouldn’t miss out on this free download for Windows.

Whether you know it or not, you want to play new 2D Mario levels. Nintendo takes its dear sweet time putting such levels out, so if you need something to hold you over until the inevitable release of New Super Mario Brothers Wii 2, I highly recommend you check out this unofficial fan-built game. It’s free, so you have nothing to lose by trying it out. You might even find things here you like better than Nintendo’s own projects.

The Game

I could tell you a lot about this game, but why don’t you see for yourself. Here’s a video with highlights :

Find that interesting? Then head on over the Super Mario Brothers X download page on CNETto get started. You’ll find the game there. Windows only; sorry Mac and Linux users.

The game itself combines elements from all the different Mario games in history. For example, there’s a world map reminiscent of Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo:

Other maps look more like they belong in Super Mario Three. Gameplay is similarly mixed. Some of the levels look like they belong in Super Mario 2, that odd Mario game famous for its throwable onions:

Other levels look more like Super Mario 3 or Super Mario World:

Even more levels mix and match elements from all of the different games in the series history. The result is kind of weird but a lot of fun. Heck, the occasional level looks nothing like a Mario level, instead borrowing from other video game series. You’ll have to play to find out what I mean.

There are a variety of powerups from throughout the series, and more than a few created just for this game. The music comes from a variety of eras too, but all of it will make you feel nostalgic.

The levels aren’t as consistent as ones put out by Nintendo; I’d be lying if I said they were. Some are really easy, some are frustratingly difficult, and they don’t always seem to be in any sort of logical order. Having said that, there’s a good blend here of challenge and progress. Mario fans will enjoy themselves.

Note that you can play as Mario or as a few other players. Most unusual is the inclusion of Link, from the Zelda series. This gives the game a bit of a Super Mario Crossover feel, which isn’t a bad thing.

Other Level Sets

Did you beat the default level sets too quickly? Don’t worry; there’s more. On this download page you’ll find additional levels. Unzip these files and add them to the “worlds” folder wherever you installed Super Mario Brothers X and you can start playing these levels right away. There are four extra campaigns right now; presumably more will show up, so keep watching the download page.

Design Your Own Levels

Beat all of those levels too? Wow, you’ve got a lot of time on your hands. So much time in fact, that you should probably start building your own levels. There’s a built-in tool here for doing just that, and it requires no programming ability:

You won’t make a masterpiece overnight, but with a little work and a lot of time you’ll have a Mario game to call your own. Brilliant.

Conclusion

Is this game legal? Probably not, in the strictest sense. Whatever the case may be though, it’s clear the creators of Super Mario Brothers X love the company that made the original Mario games. This message shows up every time you launch the game:

A nice sentiment, to be sure. Shutting down this game is probably within Nintendo’s rights, but a message like this makes me wonder if it would be in their best interests.

This is probably the best fan-made Mario Brothers games I’ve ever seen, but it’s not the only one. Be sure to check out our list of the best free web Mario games and our writeup of Super Mario War, the ultimate multi-player Mario game.

Also feel free to share any other great Mario fan games in the comments below!

8 Great Emulators To Play Modern Home Consoles On Your PC (1994-2001)

Tim Brookes — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:31:35 +0000

It’s time for the concluding part of my home console emulation series, and today I’m on the hunt for some tools to emulate some fairly recent machines. If you’ve missed the series so far you might want to check out home consoles of the 70s, early 80s and the transition from 16 bit to 32 bit in the early 90s. Just don’t go downloading any games (ROMs) you don’t legally own, OK?

As the systems get more advanced, emulation becomes more demanding and you may need a fairly recent PC, preferably a dual-core processor and a dedicated graphics card to get the most out of these.

1994 ““ Sega Saturn [Yabause]

Successor to the Mega Drive and loaded with two 32 bit CPUs, the Sega Saturn proved difficult for developers and early adopters alike. Due to the dual-processor architecture (a move some attributed to Sony’s looming powerhouse, the PlayStation) optimizing and building games for the platform required a lot of skill with Sega providing developers limited tools for the job.

The Saturn did sell well in Japan, but a lack of titles and the promise of Sony and Nintendo’s upcoming consoles meant PAL and North American models were discontinued in 1998 with Japan ceasing production two years later.

Yabause is a Sega Saturn emulator designed to run both .ISO CD images and commercial games themselves on a PC. The compatibility list is pretty good, and it runs on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, PSP and even Dreamcast.

1994 ““ Sony PlayStation [PCSX-Reloaded]

The Sony PlayStation took the world by storm and make a substantial dent on Sega and Nintendo’s market share. Over 100 million PlayStation consoles were sold in total before the latest revision of the machine was discontinued in 2006.

Nintendo certainly had a hand in Sony’s success, as they had planned on using CD technology manufactured by Sony in a joint venture as early as 1986. When Nintendo pulled out, Sony took a step back to see what they had come up with. They soon decided to direct their efforts towards a new age of hardware and video gamers, and the PlayStation was born.

You can emulate the PlayStation on Windows, Linux and Mac with one of the last remaining active PlayStation emulators, PCSX-Reloaded.

1996 ““ Nintendo 64 [mupen64plus]

After the immense success of the 32 bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Nintendo 64 had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately for Nintendo the console didn’t sell as well as Sony’s PlayStation, though it did enjoy limited success shifting around 30 million units worldwide.

The N64 was Nintendo’s last home console to use cartridge-based media, and due to the expensive manufacturing process games were expensive. Still, the system was home to some fantastic titles, including Mario’s first proper 3D adventure.

The cross-platform mupen64plus emulator works on Windows, Linux and Mac with decent compatibility for most N64 ROMs.

1998 ““ Sega Dreamcast [nullDC][lxdream]

Sega’s last-ditch attempt at a home console came in the form of the 128 bit Dreamcast in 1998. It was the first console to feature online play via its bundled 56k modem. Despite never selling as well as Sega might have hoped, the Dreamcast will go down in history as a cult console for its cutting edge features and roster of genre-defining games.

Dreamcast originals like Shenmue (which might never see an end to the series), Jet Set Radio (which featured early cel-shading) and Chu Chu Rocket (the world’s first Internet play console game) have elevated the console to cult status. Some independent companies are still releasing Dreamcast titles today.

If you’re a Windows user then nullDC should suffice for all your Dreamcast needs, whilst Linux and Mac users will want to try lxdream. Both emulators are still under active development, so don’t expect every game to work. As the Dreamcast is a fairly powerful device (not by today’s standards, but in terms of emulation) you’ll need a PC with plenty of power for best results.

2000 ““ Sony PlayStation 2 [PCSX2]

The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling console of all time, shifting 150 million units so far. The console has been such a success that Sony is still manufacturing the PS2 slim model, and the system has accrued nearly 11,000 titles.

The PlayStation 2 supported network gaming (which you can still enjoy on your original console with X-Link Kai), web browsing and some of the finest exclusive originals and arcade conversions of the generation.

Windows and Linux users can use PCSX2 to emulate the system, which can successfully launch and play a large amount of games. An issue with PS2 emulation is virtualizing the multiple cores within its processor, so the more power you’ve got under the hood the better. For best results you’ll need a Core2Duo or Core-i series processor 1GB of RAM and that all-important dedicated graphics card.

2001 ““ Nintendo GameCube [Dolphin]

The GameCube was Nintendo’s first console to use optical media, in the form of mini DVDs which could store up to 1.5GB of data. It featured a chunky controller with 2 analogue sticks, a d-pad and 8 buttons. The GameCube only sold just over 20 million units worldwide, and was not a great success for Nintendo.

The ground Nintendo lost with their last console (the N64) was even harder to make-up against new competition from Sony and Microsoft. The GameCube also only had four Internet-enabled games and a handful of system link titles.

This doesn’t mean there weren’t some excellent games released for the system! The fantastic Dolphin emulator plays both GameCube and Wii games on Windows, Linux or Mac (Intel OS X). What’s even more amazing is that this emulator upscales Wii and GameCube titles to high definition, a feature that’s not possible on original hardware. What are you waiting for?

2001 ““ Microsoft Xbox [DxBx]

What happens when the world’s largest software corporation enters the games console market? A big, black, powerful, online-geared behemoth is what ““ the Microsoft Xbox. Despite the lure of top-selling Halo: Combat Evolved (and its even more successful sequel) the Xbox only sold marginally better than the GameCube, shifting around 25 million units before discontinuation in 2006.

DxBx is an Xbox emulator written in Delphi. Whilst playable game support is thin on the ground, it may interest some die-hard Xbox fans. Only a handful of games run at the moment but if you’re interested in Xbox emulation development you might want to check it out.

If you really are desperate for an Xbox you can get them cheap on eBay, or play some Xbox classics on the Xbox 360.

What’s Missing?

There are a few systems absent from the list and they include the Apple Bandai Pippin (Apple’s highly unsuccessful attempt at entering the video games industry), Casio Loopy (a Japanese exclusive), NEC PC-FX (another Japanese exclusive), Bandai Playdia (yet another Japanese exclusive), Nintendo Virtual Boy (a failed, short-lived 3D experiment) and the Neo Geo CD (a reboot of the original Neo Geo with CDs instead of cartridges).

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the last few articles as much as I have writing them. Let us know what you think of the emulators, your favourite systems and games in the comments below.

Images: Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Xbox

10+ Emulators To Play Old-School 16- And 32-bit Consoles On Your PC (1987-1993)

Tim Brookes — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:30:40 +0000

As part of a series on emulating the classic consoles of days gone by, we’ve already had two stops. The first home consoles of the 70s proved innovative, expensive bits of kit. The 80s heralded a new dawn of video games with Nintendo’s NES and Sega’s Master System loosening Atari’s grip over the industry.

This week we’ll be looking at 16 bit and (some) 32 bit consoles of the late 80s and early 90s, many of which left a lasting impression on the video game world.

As ever, cross-platform video game console emulators are reported where possible. You should know by now that downloading ROMs you don’t legally own is against the law, shock horror.

1987 ““ PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16 [Hu-Go!][Ootake]

A console that never really saw a full-scale PAL release but thrived in NTSC regions, the PC-Engine (as it was known in Japan) was launched in 1987 with its identical (in terms of hardware) North American release the “TurboGrafx-16″ coming late 1989.

There were 94 game releases for the TurboGrafx-16 (system releases outside of Japan) and most of them should be playable on the cross-platform Hu-Go! emulator. There’s a Windows, Mac and Linux version. The homebrew and official forum should help out if you get stuck.

Windows users can also use the Japanese PC-Engine emulator Ootake. Just ignore the English on the homepage!

1988 ““ Sega Mega Drive/Genesis [Kega-Fusion][Gens/GS]

Following the success of the 8 bit Master System, Sega’s first 16 bit home consoles came in the form of the Mega Drive (as it was known in Europe and Asia) or Genesis (in North America).

The Mega Drive was backwards-compatible with the Sega Master System, a feature that surely helped the company rack-up an estimated 40 million plus console sales. The Mega Drive has never ceased production in Brazil, and there have even been recent officially licensed Genesis consoles produced in North America.

You won’t need to buy any Sega hardware with either the Kega Fusion or Gens/GS emulator. Both are cross-platform and run on Windows, Linux and Mac.

1990 ““ Neo Geo [NeoRAGEx][GnGeo]

The company who brought us arcade classics like Fatal Fury, King of Fighters and Puzzle Bobble (pictured below) also delivered another very cutting edge present in 1990 ““ the Neo Geo Advanced Entertainment System, manufactured by Japanese firm SNK.

The console was expensive, and marketed as a 24 bit machine as it had a standard 16 bit architecture with an additional 8 bit co-processor. Instead of using tiled bitmap backgrounds like other consoles at the time, the Neo Geo rendered 16 pixel wide sprites side-by-side to make up much of the on-screen visuals.

What better way to remember one of Japan’s greatest consoles and arcade line-up than with the NeoRAGEx emulator for Windows or GnGeo for Unix (Linux, BeOS, FreeBSD). NeoRAGEx has since been abandoned, though you can still find the last release mirrored at the above link.

1990 ““ Super Nintendo Entertainment System [ZSNES]

Building on the success of the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the Super Nintendo sold just short of 50 million units worldwide. The graphical and audio capabilities of the SNES matched other consoles available at the time, whilst many SNES releases had enhanced chips built into the game cartridges to really push the system to its limits.

There were 784 games in total released for the SNES (including US, European and Japanese releases) not including the many homebrew creations available.

In order to play the SNES classics, try ZSNES, one of the best SNES emulators around for Windows, Mac and Linux. I’ve never had an issue running a single ROM under ZSNES, plus the extra graphical, control and ‘save state’ options don’t get much better.

1993 ““ 3DO Interactive Multiplayer [FreeDO]

Time Magazine’s product of the year in 1994, the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was a console originally produced by Panasonic and later Sanyo and Goldstar. Whilst it enjoyed a high-profile marketing campaign, the dizzying $699.95 asking price at launch was too much for most and Panasonic never enjoyed the success like Nintendo or Sega did.

The only emulator I could find for the 3DO is FreeDO which works on Windows, with limited success. There’s a fairly dedicated 3DO emulation forum here, which might help resolve any issues.

1993 ““ Atari Jaguar [Virtual Jaguar]

The Atari Jaguar doesn’t technically belong on this list, so before the comments come flooding in ““ I apologize. For those of you sat there scratching your heads, the Atari Jaguar was a high-performance games console utilizing Atari’s 64 bit “Jaguar” chip.

It didn’t make much difference, the Jaguar’s reception was enough to put Atari off home consoles altogether. It is thought that less than 250,000 Jaguars were sold in total, with a poor software library and needlessly complicated 15-button controller probably to blame.

Virtual Jaguar is an emulator which completely removes the need for you to ever touch an Atari Jaguar. There are Windows, Mac, Linux and BeOS versions available and compatibility is (on the whole) good.

1993 ““ Commodore Amiga CD32 [Akiko][WinUAE][UAE]

The CD32 was the world’s first 32 bit console that solely utilised CD-ROM media and was released worldwide in 1993 before being discontinued in 1994. The CD32 was technically very similar to Commodore’s Amiga 1200 home computer, and sold especially well in the UK quickly swallowing 50% of the CD-ROM market share.

The CD32 only shifted around 100,000 units in total before manufacturers Commodore went bankrupt in 1994, putting an end to an era of computer hardware, software and video games for the Amiga brand.

You can emulate the CD32 on Windows with Akiko. It is a specially adapted port of UAE, the Ubiquitous Amiga Emulator designed for Linux (which does not support the CD32 on its own). Experienced Amiga and Linux users might want to check out UAE anyway, as many of the CD32 games were simple ports of A1200, A600 and A500 classics.

WinUAE is another Windows port with ever improving support for Amiga CD32 games.

What’s Missing?

There are two systems missing from this list, the Amiga CDTV (which flopped ““ badly) and the CD-i, a system known for having some of the worst titles imaginable (despite the odd appearance from Nintendo favourite Zelda).

Next time things get serious ““ 1995 to 2001; systems, emulators and a little history lesson. Be sure to join me!

Any favorite video game console emulators from this list? Did you own a Jaguar or CD32? Everyone had a SNES, right? Sound off in the comments.

Image Credits: 3DO, Atari Jaguar

6 Best Emulators For Nintendo DS Homebrew Games [Part 2]

Tim Brookes — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 23:30:09 +0000

On Monday, I showed you what you needed to have in order to play Nintendo DS backup games. Before we can proceed to discuss homebrewed apps and emulation, you’ll need to have a compatible flash card and storage device. Got that handy? Okay.

Let’s move on.

Homebrew

Just to recap, homebrew software is the catch-all term given to fan-made games and tools for platforms that are not usually open to development. The Nintendo DS is no exception and has its own fair share of tools and software that vastly enhance the handheld’s capabilities.

Whilst a lot of homebrew projects appear to have fallen by the wayside, there’s still plenty of killer applications that will keep you busy for hours.

If you want to use your DS as a media device then MoonShell is the app you want. There’s a good possibility your firmware will come preloaded with MoonShell (mine did) or a derivative ““ if not, download and enjoy.

MoonShell supports video in DPG format (which you can convert with the bundled converter or SUPER), a host of audio formats including MP3, OGG, WMA and low bitrate AAC and non-progressive JPEG, GIF, BMP and PNG images as well as plain text files. It is the last word in media playback on the DS.

There are simply too many homebrew applications to mention (DSLinux anyone?), with plenty of games and apps for all kinds of users. If you’re interested in trying out some hobbyist creations then you’ll find an exhastive list of NDS homebrew over at the Nintendo DS Homebrew Hive and DS-Xtra.

Emulation

Recently I’ve been testing every emulator I can get my hands on. Here are my top 6:

jEnesisDS [Download]

A fairly well-behaved Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis, as it was known in the US) emulator that has now been discontinued (amidst claims the author helped Sega port a certain hedgehog to the DS). Despite no updates for a while, game support is generally good with a great number of titles working 100%.

There’s a couple of extra features and options including two save state slots (which do work, but work best if you pause the game first) and the option for a 6-button joypad.

Working titles include the first three Sonic games and Streets of Rage 1 & 2 ““ now that’s an afternoon.

nesDS

Emulating the 8bit charm of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, nesDS is a cracking little emulator that’s handled pretty much everything I’ve thrown at it.

In fact I’ve been playing with nesDS for a week or so now and am pleased to say it’s probably the single finest emulator on the DS platform. Each ROM is given its own save state slot, there’s the ability to reverse or advance the ROM and the controls really couldn’t be much closer to the original rectangular beast that was the NES joypad.

nesDS shoves the fluffy Nintendo 8bit sounds and sprites of years gone by into the palms of your hands.

Lameboy DS

A fully-featured Gameboy and Gameboy Color emulator with support for a huge number of games at full speed. This emulator also supports larger ROMs in excess of 2MB and provides save state support that works.

There’s also a nifty original Gameboy colour palette which attempts to emulate the pale green of Nintendo’s old LCD display. Emulate handhelds on your handheld with Lameboy DS.

SnemulDS

A DS port of the popular Snemul SNES emulator, SnemulDS has limited support for a number of games and a fair few options for getting everything looking the way you want it.

Despite not having great compatibility (and save state just crashes the DS) this emulator will run the odd classic (Super Mario All-Stars being one) with all but a few problems. Worth a go if you’re a die-hard SNES fanatic, easily the best Super Nintendo emulator for the DS.

MarcaDS [Download & Compatibility]

Every platform needs an arcade emulator, and MarcaDS is the MAME equivalent on the Nintendo DS. Due to the somewhat limited processing power and available RAM for the DS, the emulator manages simple arcade games best, with a compatibility list on the download page (above).

Compatible games include Pac-Man, Frogger and Galaga making this one for the retro gamers.

SCUMMVM DS

An official port of the SCUMMVM point-and-click adventure game emulator, SCUMMVM DS provides an impressive compatibility list and brings touch controls to the classics. Working (100%) titles include: The Secret of Monkey Island, Simon the Sorcerer and Flight of the Amazon Queen.

You also get full save/load support and two innovative and refreshing ways to make use of the DS touchscreen. A must have!

Conclusion

If you’ve got a DS and still don’t have a flash card then I’d urge you to consider one soon. The way things are going it won’t be long till these devices will be banned altogether (if they aren’t already) due to their ability to play Nintendo DS ROMs.

Just remember that downloading and playing games you don’t legally own is against the law, mmkay?

Any killer emulators I’ve not mentioned here? Got any favourite homebrew? Let us know in the comments.

A Brief Guide To Nintendo DS Homebrew & Emulation [Part 1]

Tim Brookes — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:30:28 +0000

If you’ve got a Nintendo DS, DSi or the latest DSi XL then you may or may not be aware of the homebrew scene that the handheld has spawned.

Homebrew software is the catch-all term given to fan-made games and tools for platforms that are not usually open to development. The Nintendo DS is no exception and has its own fair share of tools and software that vastly enhance the handheld’s capabilities.

If you’re interested in emulation, media playback and the ability to play games from a memory stick then read on.

What You’ll Need

In order to put your DS on steroids, you’re going to need to make a small purchase. Nintendo DS homebrew applications must be launched using a custom game card (often called a flash card) that fits into SLOT-1 (your normal NDS cartridge slot) or SLOT-2 (the original DS GameBoy Advance slot, though these are now outdated and should be avoided).

I’m not going to go into detail about which card you should buy ““ there are hundreds on the market already, each claiming to work a treat. As they’re cheap to produce and fairly easy to sell there are a vast number of clones available, which often take the name of more original products.

Wikipedia has an article listing a great number of these devices, with a few warnings about known clone cards. If you’re seriously thinking of using your DS for homebrew and backups then I’d recommend doing your research before committing to purchase.

At the time of writing, there are a good number of cards that support the very latest Nintendo DS and DSi firmware, and this is important to check. When I bought a flash card, I emailed the retailer first just to make sure, though the seller should have just stated this on the product page.

The more popular devices usually use flash memory (MicroSD is a popular choice, with SDHC compatibility boosting storage capacity greatly) in the form of a memory card that slots into the game card.

Your game card should come with full setup instructions, and these will most likely involve downloading and transferring the latest available firmware onto the device’s memory via your PC.

Playing Backups

Your brand new DS flash card can do a few wonderful things that Nintendo really aren’t pleased about (provided you bought a good one, and no cheap knock-offs). The first is the ability to run “backup games”.

Backup games (often just referred to as ROMs) are “dumped” DS cartridges in file format (usually .NDS) which you can transfer to your flash card and play straight from file. Whilst this is horrendously illegal if you don’t own the original cartridge (don’t say I didn’t warn you), it’s a very convenient and almost futuristic way of accessing your game library.

Who wants to carry round 15 cartridges and the console when you can stick everything on a flash card and leave it in the console?

It’s worth pointing out that not every Nintendo DS ROM you load will work, but flash card firmware updates often resolve these issues. Oh, and no ““ I’m not going to tell you where to get your ROMs from. Don’t even ask.

So go out and get your MicroSD card. I’ll tell you more about Nintendo DS homebrew apps and emulation on Wednesday.

Do you have a flash card? What brand? Are you pleased? Tell us your suggestions in the comments!

Update: Check out A Brief Guide To Nintendo DS Homebrew & Emulation [Part 2]