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VIDEO GAME EMULATION at Bantha Fodder 

arcade  |  Atari 2600  |  Intellivision  |  ColecoVision  | C64  |  Apple II 
  Mac  |  Coco  |  MSX  |   NES  |  SNES  |  Sega Genesis  |  ROMS  |  Home built Arcade Cabinet

NOTHING beats the classics. And the good news is that you can play them on your PC again!

If you are an old fan of these games, or want to give them a try on todays PC, there are a few programs that can give you some help: Emulators. Emulators are programs that run on your PC and enable you to play games from these older systems.

This page is dedicated to what I consider the "top of the crop" of emulators. Most are feature complete, and have sound and joystick support. This is in no way a comprehensive list of emulators - these are my top picks for each system. Most are "multi-game" emulators.

Click here to see info on my Custom MAME Cabinet !

 

ARCADE - MAME and MESS

NOTE: As it is not legal to distribute ROMS with Emulators, they must be found elsewhere. See the links at the bottom of this page for help finding ROMs. You may also wish to try utilities like P2P.

This is the grand-daddy of all Emulators. It is the most robust emulator out there, and is a must-have.  Emulates almost four thousand games, including: Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Wizard of War, Zaxxon, Bagman, Rally X, Space Invaders, Carnival, Mario Brothers, and Galaga! Most games are 100% perfect. 

It is updated every few months.  Mirko Buffoni is the project leader. The original author is Nicola Salmoria. Various emulator programmers contribute to the code. The README contains all compatible games. Betas of this program also available.

Click here to visit the official homepage. Click here to visit the official homepage of MAMEUI (for Windows). Click here for a list of supported games (version .73 and previous).

For MAME Sound Samples, screen shots, and more files, check out  Vintage Gaming Network.

This is the console version of MAME. It is based on the same set of code, and is often kept up to date with it. If you download only two emulators it should be MAME and MESS !   This is also an evolving project, with many systems emulated, and many more to come. Also, many upgrades and improvements are made with each new release. 
Currently emulated are popular systems such as : Commodore 64, VIC-20, TRS-80 Model 1, COCO, Apple 2, CGA DOS, Timex Sinclair, Vectrex, Colecovision, NES, and many, many more!

Like MAME, this is also a must have.  Various emulator programmers contribute to the code. The README contains all compatible systems. Betas of this program are available.

ATARI 2600

The Atari 2600 wasn't the first home video game system, but it was certainly the biggest of the 80's. It came with the cartridge Combat, and two joysticks. Paddles were also available. Popular games for this system included: Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Haunted House, Adventure, Pitfall and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Some may even remember the flop E.T. Atari 2600

This 2600 emulator wins the prize for largest system support. There are versions for DOS, WINDOWS, Linux/Unix, Mac, and OS/2! Visit the homepage to download all versions. Excellent cart support, as well as sound support. An on-going project. Newest version supports more games, is faster, and works in a WINDOWS.

The main author is Bradford W. Mott. The files vary in size.  Click here to go to its homepage.

ATARI 5200

The follow-up unit to the 2600. Better graphics and speed, but never caught on quite as well. Its versions of games were more accurate to their arcade counterparts, but at the time, Colecovision had a much better collection of games.

(See above information)

INTELLIVISION

Intellivision appeared on the gaming scene shortly after the Atari 2600. It featured better graphics and sound than the 2600, and included some interesting looking controllers. If I remember correctly, the system came with Vegas Poker. Popular games included Lock and Chase, Utopia, Dungeon and Dragons, Space Battle, Burgertime, Tron Deadly Discs, and Snafu.

Features 3 games: Astroblast, Skiing, and Utopia!. Sound is supported. Brought to you by the Blue Sky Rangers, the original programmers of the Intellivision carts! More games are coming soon. When they are released, I will post them. 284K.

This release supports 3 more games: Night Stalker, Space Spartans, Deep Pockets.

A Mac version is also available. Visit their homepage for more info on purchasing the full version of the emulator.

COLECOVISION

In the early eighties, Colecovision was a step ahead of the rest. Its graphics and sound came close to arcade-quality. This system featured optional items such as a steering controller, a "Super Action Controller", and an add-on which allowed you to play 2600 games. It was sold with the game Donkey Kong. Other favorites were Miner 2049er, Turbo, Ladybug, and of course, Zaxxon. Colecovision

Click here to download an excellent menu program for the Coleco emulators (DOS based).

Colem is a great emulator. As far as I am concerned, there is no other competition in this category. Full support for sound, and special controllers. Works with the large majority of games (if not all). It is written by Marcel de Kogel. You may also visit the Vcoleco  official Homepage.

(See above information)

This is an emulator written by the same author of ColEM. He has now expanded the program to support the Coleco ADAM, which was more powerful version of Colecovision which was a home computer. A commercial flop which didn't last very long. This emulator includes support for all Colecovision titles as well as ADAM programs. Current version is .2 and the file is 430k.
Click here to go to its homepage.

COMMODORE 64

The Commodore 64 was a follow-up to the VIC 20. Featured a whopping 64k of memory (ahead of its time). It was a home computer and included the BASIC language. Programs were stored on disk or cassette. A more powerful version, The Commodore 128, appeared later. Tons of programs and games were released for the C64, many of which were based on Arcade versions.

An excellent shareware emulator. Full sound support, runs in Windows or Dos. Joystick support disabled in Shareware version. Includes menu program. Runs most programs. The author is Per Håkan Sundell.

Here is the CCS webpage.

APPLE II

Before the Macintosh, there was the Apple 2. It wasn't pretty or very fast but it was always in color! This workhorse was popular for a long time - from the late 70's through most of the eighties. It was a great game and work platform. Expandable memory, disk drives, and the ever-popular Stylewriter Printers gave this computer a long lifespan.

Popular games included Karateka, Zork, and Lode Runner. The Apple IIc and IIgs followed the original model. They were more expandable and had more features.

Brings the Apple II to your Windows desktop. Full sound support. Runs most programs. The author is Michael O'Brien.

A great Apple Em for the DOS platform. The author is David Ellsworth. Current version is 2.52.
Click here to download the ROMs necessary for this emulator.

Also MESS  (available for DOS, WINDOWS, MAC, and many more platforms)

MACINTOSH

Macintosh did "Windows" way before anyone else. It started back in 1984. Back then, a top of the line mac was somewhat like the I-Mac of today - except it was Black & White and very slow. But at the time, it blew everyone away with its ease of use. That is why the Mac is still popular today.

Popular programs included MacWrite, MacPaint, and Tetris. The Mac has had many models including the Mac Plus, Mac II, Mac Classic, Quadra, Powerbook, G3, I-Mac. Each model gained more speed, color, and abilities.

The first freeware Mac emulator. Currently emulates The Mac and Mac Plus. No color support yet.

A more comprehensive Mac emulator which emulates The Mac II with color. Sound support is limited. 

Requires Mac ROM and OS. Visit the Baskilisk Home page for help getting these.

TRS-80/TANDY COLOR COMPUTER  (COCO)

Also known as the "Coco" to many. This was my home computer of choice for the eighties. The original units were available in 16k, 32k, and 64k versions. Ran games from cartridge, cassette, and disk. A well supported computer with a devoted following, even to this day. Know for well written word processors, graphics programs, and of course, games. Most games were not official liscenced versions, but clones. Popular games included The King, Trekboer, Speed Racer and Marble Maze. Followed by the Coco 2 (new case), and Coco 3 (more memory, better graphics).

(See above information)

A feature complete emulator written for the Coco. Good menu program. Joystick support. Emulates most Coco functions, and allows transfers of Coco files to your PC. Download the Tandy ROM from below. The author is Jeff Vasavour. Current version is 1.4 NOTE: He has now released his COCO 3 emulator as freeware as well.

Quickly becoming an excellent emulator. Now supports sound via Soundblaster cards. Easy to use. This project is still under development, so expect many more features.

COCO support in MESS is excellent. I highly recommend it.

Download the Tandy ROM from below. The author is Paul Burgin. Current version is 1.0

Click here to download the ROMs necessary for these "Trash 80" emulators and to visit the Coco resource page.

MSX

The MSX Computer is not commonly known to Americans, but is a familar sight to Europeans and Russians. It was a big hit there in the 80s. Its American equivilent is the Atari 800. Several good arcade-style arcade games are available for it which are hard to find for other systems: Eleavator Action, Xevious, Pac Man, Rally X, and several others.

An excellent emulator written by Marcel de Kogel (author of ColEM). Good menu program. Sound support. Click Here to visit its homepage.

NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM (NES)

NES can be credited with the revival of home systems, and the origin of the current platform war. This was the system that Mario made famous. The most popular games on this system are Super Mario Brothers (1-3), Legend of Zelda, Duck Hunt, Castlevania, Megaman, and Kirby's Adventure.

A great freeware emulator which is fully featured and continually developed. Should play all games with full features at full speed! The best out there. Open Source.

SUPER NINTENDO (SNES)

Super Nintendo was one of the first 32 bit consoles to hit the home market. Its graphics and sound far excelled it predecessor. This allowed large, complex games to be released. Popular in the early 90s, only to be replaced by the Nintendo 64 in 1996. Games still selling today. Popular Games included: Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Starfox, and Super Mario Cart.

Constantly updated emulator that is full featured and supports most games.  Click Here to visit the official Homepage.

SEGA GENESIS, SEGA MASTER SYSTEM and GAME GEAR

Genesis was the major competitor to Super Nintendo, and was to many the more superior of the consoles. Had an incredible selection of high quality games. Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, NHL Hockey,and Madden Football, were just a few of the popular titles. Its popularity faded with the coming of the Saturn and Playstation. A portable version was named the Nomad.

Kega Fusion focuses on accuracy as opposed to speed or other features (such as movie recording) found in emulators like Gens. To retain a high level of speed, the majority of the emulator is written in assembly language. On a Pentium III class or a similar microprocessor, Kega Fusion runs Mega Drive ROM images at 50 or 60 frames per second. Author is Steve Snake.

This great Genesis emulator is back to being updated on a regular basis again. A must-have for all Genesis fans. New Windows version now available.  Sound support present, and well implemented. Updated frequently. Now supports almost all games. Very fast.

NINTENDO 64

Nintendo 64 , along with the PS2 brought true 3D graphics to home consoles. Replaced by the Gamecube, and eventually the Wii. Its graphics and sound blow away the SNES. It is more powerful than the Sony Playstation, but saggs behind the Dreamcast, PS2, and of course, all newer systems. 

This is now the best N64 emu available. It supports most DirectX based video cards, and ha great compatibility. It is still in development. Full color and sound emulation.  It is Freeware. Click Here to visit the official Homepage.

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