Video Game Emulators turn your Computer into a full-fledged Arcade of the 80's© Dan Finkelstein
Jun 16, 1998
It happens to me on occasion. A quiet night, turning in bed, unable to sleep. And suddenly she appears, sliding across the ceiling. She is a strange circular, pizza-pie-shaped creature, quickly gathering up yellow dots, emitting a strange WAKKA WAKKA sound. Strange ghost-like creatures trail close behind her. I then realize it -- once again, Ms. Pac Man has crept into my subconscious.
Like most people my age, I grew up, more or less, in arcades. My early days were populated by the classics: Outrun, Afterburner, Pac Man, Commando, the list is endless. And until now, when I had the urge for a hit of a classic arcade game, the only solution was to head out to the local arcade with a roll of quarters, and hope they haven't sold the classic machine off for scrap. However, there is a new solution.. Video Game Emulators for your computer.
The last year or so has witnessed a curious trend: dedicated computer programmers, with an obvious love for the classic arcade games of yesteryear, and with the help of hundreds of people on the Net offering suggestions and bug fixes, have turned their programming talents to creating emulators -- programs that allow you to run the classic games on your PC, using the original game code, complete with perfect graphics and sound.
These programs really are amazing -- there really is no word to describe the excitement I felt as I loaded Ms.Pac Man (or Joust, or Frogger, or Gauntlet, or Rampage, there are literally hundreds you can download) into the emulator. The only thing missing was the quarters, the necessity to stand up to play, and the constant din that is an arcade's calling card.
There are several authors with competing programs, but by far, the most popular is one called "MAME", or the "Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator", written by a team of dedicated (and non-paid) programmers. The current version supports 478 games, from "10 Yard Fight" and "1942" to "Zaxxon" and "Zzap". Other emulators support different games.. The "System 16" emulator, written by Thierry Lescott, supports such Sega classics as "Golden Axe" and my personal favorite arcade game of all time, hands down -- "Outrun". Other programs emulate popular home video game systems, like "Genesyst" for the Sega Genesis, and "Nesticle" for Nintendo. Yes, you can really play "Super Mario Bros.", along with lots of other NES games, on your computer! SNES emulators are out there as well, and projects are also underway to emulate the Sony Playstation, and even the Nintendo 64!
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