How to use an emulator

[Doctor What]

I'm more of a pen and paper kind of guy, a bit too old school for my age group. I'm not sure how to use basically anything on a computer. My question is, how do I use an emulator. From beginning to end. How do I download, install, load games, and all that jazz.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

Which one? They all work differently.

Don't say that! His brain will explode.

On topic: I have no idea and hoped you might have made a guide or something.

 

[megamanenm]

Go to google, find an emulator, download it, find the ROM of the game you want, download that, open the ROM in the emulator.

 

[Julianking93]

Try Youtube. There are some guides there.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Most emulators come with instructions. You double click on a file usually named 'readme' and scroll down using either the mouse wheel or the cursor. Once you have gleaned the information you need, implement it.

 

[Wintermoot]

install map the buttons download rom (we cant say where that would be illigeal) load rom play

 

[FactualSquirrel]

Most emulators come with instructions. You double click on a file usually named 'readme' and scroll down using either the mouse wheel or the cursor. Once you have gleaned the information you need, implement it.

hey another squirrel!

But he's right, most of them do have guides that come with them.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[similar.squirrel]

Most emulators come with instructions. You double click on a file usually named 'readme' and scroll down using either the mouse wheel or the cursor. Once you have gleaned the information you need, implement it.

hey another squirrel!

But he's right, most of them do have guides that come with them.

I wish I had thought of Factual as a prefix..Props to you, fellow fellow under the tree-rat moniker.

OT: Also, what are you looking to play?

 

[Trivun]

Generally you need to find a site with an emulator, often something along the lines of 'www.gbaroms.com' or whatever (ROM is the name given toi the game file), and download it (different ones are available for different consoles that you want to emulate). Then you download the individual game ROMS (files) from different sites that will basically let you play the game on the emulator for that game's console. To open the game file, you'll need to open the emulator itself, go to 'File' at the menu bar, then select 'Open' and find the game ROM that you've downloaded. Saving will usually be done in-game as usual.

This is a generalised account based on emulators I've downloaded and used, though. Other ones may be different.

[small]NOTE TO MODS AND ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED: I do not in any way endorse game piracy and stealing. To anybody helped by my post, please don't go ahead and download games that are still copyright or that you don't own. If you own a game then download it by all means, and if it's freeware or abandonware then also go nuts. But don't use my advice to pirate games. Piracy is wrong, and hurts game developers and publishers financially. Thank you.[/small]

 

[Doctor What]

Okay, I've got it downloaded, installed and read the info on it. When I download the ROMs, do I save it in that folder or somewhere else?

I know I'm more than a tad clueless.

 

[The Infinite]

yeah Emulators are a rather touchy subject... Since you know you're supposed to own the games that you use on said emulators. If that's the case there are bound to be guides all over the place which are a much better alternative to a forum since there are that many different emulators for different systems..

ALSO: Piracy is bad, and I do not encourage the illegal downloading of non owned software.

 

[Doctor What]

I'm looking to play old NES, and sNES games.

Nothing new or still under copyright. I may be out of a job, but I'm not a thief.

 

[flaming_squirrel]

hey another squirrel!

But he's right, most of them do have guides that come with them.

We are legion.

I'm looking to play old NES, and sNES games.

Nothing new or still under copyright. I may be out of a job, but I'm not a thief.

Search for abandonware, a lot of the old nes/snes games have long since lost their publishers and so are considered lost in the void.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

yeah Emulators are a rather touchy subject... Since you know you're supposed to own the games that you use on said emulators.

So, it wouldn't be illegal if I downloaded ROMs of some old PS1 game that I own?

What about games that I used to own?

Games that I lost, but never sold?

 

[FactualSquirrel]

hey another squirrel!

But he's right, most of them do have guides that come with them.

We are legion.

I didn't know that there were so many internet squirrels, but at least on xbox live I'm [sub]almost[/sub] unique.

 

[Daveman]

just guess, it's worked so far...

 

[Trivun]

yeah Emulators are a rather touchy subject... Since you know you're supposed to own the games that you use on said emulators.

So, it wouldn't be illegal if I downloaded ROMs of some old PS1 game that I own?

What about games that I used to own?

Games that I lost, but never sold?

That's a very iffy area. I'd say do it, personally, since you owned the game and it may not be your fault that you lost it. But others may say it's wrong and still infringing copyright (though I ask how if you've already paid for it and not profited from it's loss in any way...). As I said above, I don't endorse piracy. But I don't think you'd be in the wrong, entirely, in such a case.

 

[ImpostorZim]

I'm looking to play old NES, and sNES games.

Nothing new or still under copyright. I may be out of a job, but I'm not a thief.

Nothing nicer than being able to revisit the SNES. It was the first system I played on. Can't say much about it but I know for a fact that the best SNES emulator out there is the Zsnes for Windows.

 

[flaming_squirrel]

I didn't know that there were so many internet squirrels, but at least on xbox live I'm [sub]almost[/sub] unique.

Had to lose the 'i' on my xbox live account due to the sheer amount of options taken, so it's down to flaming_squrrel, which sucks somewhat..