Free Nintendo emulator

Developed by Stichting Dolphin Emulator, the highly commended Dolphin Emulator emulates games originally only playable on the Nintendo console so they can be played using a different device. Previously released on other platforms, it’s now coming to Steam as an early-access utility app.

Like in its other iterations, Dolphin Emulator still doesn’t come with the games to play. So, should you want to play an old Nintendo game you haven’t touched in years, you must have the base game file for it. Through this program, you’ll get to watch your old favorite come to life in better quality.

A solid and more modernized pick

The job of an emulator is essentially to pretend to be the hardware of a particular system so that software — in this case, video games — from that system can be played on modern hardware. Dolphin Emulator specifically emulates Nintendo GameCube and Wii consoles. Beyond allowing you to simply play these games, this free-to-play program also provides certain enhancements to your emulation experience, such as graphical and technical improvements. 

It can run games from a ROM dump of that game, however, the developers are very clear that acquiring ROMS of games you don’t own is illegal. With its support, your childhood or early adulthood favorites can get a second — or third — chance at life, and now on a more modern platform. It offers support for displays with resolutions of up to 4K, wide-screen hacks, and frame rate patches.

The software also incorporates quick saves, as well as the ability to slow down or speed up the game. There’s also a built-in online netplay feature, so you can turn originally local single-player games into awesome multiplayer ones. However, some games won’t run and others don’t run as well as they would on the original hardware. But, for the most part, this pick is stable, looks modern, and is free.

Trusty Nintendo game emulator

In summary, Dolphin Emulator is a competent emulator for Nintendo games. All you need is this free program downloaded and installed and your legally acquired ROMs at the ready, then you can go on your merry way down memory lane. It also adds a few handy features like quick saving, speeding up, and slowing down. Not all games run as smoothly as they would on their original console, however.