From @RetroCollect Ultimate Guide To Retro Game Emulators on Android Mobile Phones

Got an Android phone? Well you’re in for a treat! With over 25 game consoles waiting to be emulated on your mobile phone, get ready to bring the likes of Sonic, Mario, Final Fantasy, Bubble Bobble and just about any game you can think of to your device. This exclusive RetroCollect guide dives into the deep end with a full list of Android Emulators.

If there is anything clear about the Smartphone market today, it’s that every retro gamer should be equipped with an Android phone. Unlike the limitations of Apple’s strict rule over what applications can and cannot be run on their iOS devices, the Android based operating system features a much lenient approach which favours classic gamers rather well. The more appealing set applications to slip through this lose net are the wealth of emulators allowing gamers to relive their gaming past on the go.

As of speaking there are emulators available for over 25 different game consoles and home computers including the majority of the Sega and Nintendo systems available on the Android Market. While some of these can be acquired for free, those costing just a few pounds to download are more than worth the cost given they will offer access to thousands of classic games for the price of just one.

But if you still needed any convincing, one of the hidden benefits to the Android operating system is hope open ended it really is. By making the most of the Bluetooth connectivity, with just a few tweaks here and there, you’ll be able to use a Nintendo Wii Remote to control all the on screen action on your mobile phone. That’s right, emulators on your mobile phone with a true gaming control pad.

This RetroCollect guide hopes to get you geared up and equipped for portable retro gaming on the go, showcasing the available emulators and discussing the hardware which caters for your gaming needs.

Recommended Hardware – Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

While you could connect a Wii Remote to access true gaming controls on an Android mobile phone, the Xperia Play throws away the need for accessories with a slide out gamepad. This fully functional and tactile control pad features every button you would expect to see on a PlayStation controller, albeit the L2 and R2 buttons. As most of the retro gaming emulators available can be reconfigured to take input from hardware keys, the control pad on the Xperia Play can be set up manually within each emulator to take control of what’s on screen.

To further plug the Xperia Play, Sony has also released a selection of packaged up PlayStation 1 games such as Crash Bandicoot and Cool Boarders 2, which have been optimised for the device. That said the business model of a PS1 Virtual Console store equivalent has fallen rather flat given that a much more powerful PlayStation 1 emulator with no limitations has been made available on the Android Market.

 

So without digging out that dusty Nokia N-Gage you once owned to get gaming on the go, the Xperia Play is without a doubt the best purchase any retro gamer can make right now.

 

Offering fantastic compatibility and some rather decent features, NESoid is by far the best Nintendo NES emulator for the Android operating system. Offering Save States, Fast Forward Mode, Screenshot functionality, Multiplayer Netplay and even Game Genie cheats, NESoid has all based covered for smartphone NES emulation

 

While N64oid is the only decent Nintendo 64 emulator available for Android, it has set an incredibly high standard for future rivals. Capable of running the likes of Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario 64 at full speed, you won’t believe your eyes when you see what your phone is really capable of. Similar to the previous ‘oid emulators, N64oid offers Save States, Fast Forward Mode, Screenshot functionality and Gameshark cheats. To add more icing to the cake, N64oid uses OpenGL to smooth out the graphics and give a much more crisp look to the games.

 

Capable of running both classic Game Boy and Game Boy Color ROMs on your phone, GBCoid is definitely the superior choice for Android phones. Once again this ‘oid emulator features Save States, Fast Forward Mode, Screenshot functionality, Multiplayer Netplay and Game Genie cheats.

 

While Sony have already started putting PlayStation games onto the Android Market, the FPse application manages to blow each and every one of them out of the water. Offering compatibility with a large portion of the PS1 library, the likes of Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Cross, Tekken 3 and even the Resident Evil series run rather well under FPse.

FPSE offers Multi disc loading, Memory Card functionality, Save States and Gameshark cheats, making itself well known for being the best PS1 Android Emulator.

 

Summary

Hopefully this extensive guide will help you on your way to getting your entire gaming past in your pocket. Should we have overlooked a worthy emulator, be sure to let us know in the comments below.

Disclaimer – We do not encourage nor promote illegal downloads, nor do we provide any download links to copyrighted material.