Gamer in Asia's survival skills: the ultimate emulator guide

If you are anything like me, then your first few months in Asia might be tough. You don’t know the language or the culture, and your wage, whilst good enough to survive, isn’t going to see you living in luxury. So what is the gamer to do when they find themselves in this situation, how can they continue in their favorite pastime without spending a fortune on new consoles, or shipping their own ones from halfway around the world?

The answer is simple: they use what they have. Almost everyone has a laptop and as smartphone, and with these two tools, you can access nearly 30 years of gaming history through the magic of emulation.

Legally, emulation is complicated. Emulators, ROMs, and ISOs (game software used for emulation) are not illegal, providing you own an original copy of the game. However without that original software, the gamer is technically stealing if they download and use a ROM or ISO.

It usually comes down to moral choice, and that depends more on the the user than on any legalese. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with playing a 20 year old game like Illusion of Gaia, especially when there are no plans for a re-release, because you aren’t taking the money from anyone’s pockets.

Regardless of your moral stance, here’s a list of my favourite emulators for Android and PC, along with their download links. I’ve chosen emulators which are stable, simple, and work with external controllers; for my PC I use an Xbox 360 wired controller, and for my Galaxy Note 2, I use a Moga Hero Power.

(See: Moga Hero Power)

Nintendo Entertainment System

Android: Nesoid

PC: Nestopia