There are lots of exciting games for Android; still, over time we get bored playing the same type of games. So, Android made it possible to play retro console games, providing users with a special platform where they can play games created for such consoles as Nintendo and Game Boy Advance.
Today, you too can start playing your favorite retro games on any Android device you have at your disposal. All you need to do is to download an emulator and game ROMs to become the coolest retro-gamer that ever lived.
Downloading the Emulator for Android
If you are searching for an emulator to run Nintendo or GBA games, it is possible to download it legally from Google Play. Just launch this application and surf it for the emulator you would like to use for playing retro games. There are plenty of good emulators in Google Play. Still, if you are hesitant about downloading an emulator or don’t know what program to choose, you may want to familiarize yourself with other users’ feedback about the emulators they tried.
Downloading Game ROMs for Android
ROM images, or ROM files, are computer save files containing the data from a certain video game’s read-only memory chip. Such files are created by players and shared with other retro game fans via the Internet. So, you can search the web for the game file you want to play on your emulator. Still, though there are a good many websites claiming that their collection of ROMs is the best you can find on the net, remember to stay vigilant and use only reputable websites. Such sites as Romsmani, EmuParadise, Coolrom, and Royal ROMs have a wide array of GBA, SNES, NDS, and VBA ROMs that can cater for every taste. So, if you need good ROMs, don’t hesitate to visit the aforelisted sources.
- For instance, if you are eager to play Pokemon Leaf Green, you will be looking for the ROMs for this particular game on the Internet. Just type “Pokemon Leaf Green ROMs” into the search bar and avail yourself of the yielded results to download the desired ROMs.
- Games usually appear in the long lists on the website offering ROMs. To find the game of your choice, make sure to scroll down the lists until you discover the necessary one. To download the game, you’ll need to tap on it. The game will appear in your default Downloads folder shortly afterwards.
Getting BIOS for the Emulator
If you want your ROMs to run properly, make sure to download the BIOS for your emulator. For instance, if you got the VisualBoy Advance emulator, then, you will be required to look for “VisualBoy Advance BIOS,” correspondingly. Once you have figured out what file to download, make sure to tap on it and wait for the download to complete.
Launching the Emulator
Your next step should be launching your emulator. Just tap on the emulator icon on the home screen and wait for the program to finish loading. Once the program is open, it will ask you for the downloaded BIOS file. Through your emulator, locate the necessary file (by default, it should be saved in the Download folder of your device internal memory) and tap on it.
- There are situations where you may be asked to repeat the procedure of locating the BIOS files once more.
Launching the ROM games
Then, the program will ask you what ROM file (game) you would like to use at the given moment. So, you may want to avail yourself of the file navigator tool to find the desired game, which also should be in the Downloads folder, if you haven’t changed its location, of course. When you find the ROM file you want to use, tap on it.
Now, all that remains is to learn the controls and start playing your favorite retro game on Android.