| Remember the good old days of gaming, when | | | | Windows no longer has very good support for |
| there were only 5 pixels in the protagonist and | | | | older DOS-based games so there are a few |
| your imagination could turn them into a heroic | | | | emulators out there now to emulate the DOS |
| figure of Schwarzenegger proportions? When the | | | | environment. DOSBox ( is probably the best |
| enemies and the heroes were distinguished by | | | | known of the crop. There are also game-specific |
| colour and you only needed one button on the | | | | emulators such as ScummVM ( or DOOM Legacy |
| joystick? Well times have changed and technology | | | | ( that focus specifically on certain games and |
| has moved on. Pulling my old Commodore 64 or | | | | hence are able to improve the experience for |
| Atari out of the back of the cupboard and setting | | | | those particular titles. |
| them up often takes more time than the | | | | Once you have yourself an emulator you'll need |
| nostalgic pang lasts. I've also noticed that some of | | | | to get yourself some programs to run with it. |
| my old disks are starting to age and become | | | | These programs are called 'ROMs' and are images |
| corrupted. Enter the Internet. | | | | of the original storage device that the program |
| The wonderfully technologically gifted and giving | | | | came on (be it a cartridge, tape, floppy or other). |
| Internet populace is out in force in their attempts | | | | The process of creating a ROM is probably far |
| to preserve the older side of gaming. Remakes | | | | too technical for the vast majority of computer |
| and Emulators for almost any old machine can be | | | | users so you're probably going to have to find a |
| found around the Internet. Emulators act as a | | | | 'backup' from somewhere to download. This is |
| layer between old software and new hardware | | | | where the venture gets slightly foggy. Basically |
| allowing modern PCs to run programs that such | | | | the deal is that you can only have a program |
| hardware was never meant to see. Commodore | | | | ROM if you own the original program. So if you |
| 64, Amiga, NES, Master System, Arcade Machines | | | | have boxes of old Amiga disks, NES cartridges, or |
| and more have all been emulated and the | | | | other old gaming programs stored away |
| necessary programs placed online for download, | | | | somewhere, you're in luck, otherwise you're |
| usually for free. | | | | treading on legally shifty ground. While it can easily |
| Emulation is not a new idea. I had a hardware | | | | be argued that the downloading of a 1987 |
| emulator for the VIC20 that plugged into the | | | | computer game is of no real consequence to the |
| back of my Commodore 64 and allowed the use | | | | company that has in all likelihood closed down, |
| of the older VIC20 cartridges with the new | | | | copyright doesn't actually expire for 50 years and |
| hardware (I never actually owned a VIC20 or any | | | | computer games just haven't been around that |
| programs for it but that's another issue). Emulator | | | | long. |
| popularity has been fading in and out for many | | | | Online 'emulation' is a new area now being |
| years, only coming into many people's attention | | | | explored. The idea is that you simply play the |
| with the release of Bleem!, a Playstation emulator | | | | game in your browser through a Java applet or |
| for PC that was released while the PSOne still held | | | | Flash application. These might not always strictly |
| a dominant share of the video game market. | | | | be emulated programs but many remakes are |
| Bleemcast (a Playstation emulator for the Sega | | | | feature perfect with the originals. The graphics, |
| Dreamcast) soon followed causing one of the | | | | sounds, and game play remain intact. One |
| more interesting video game legal battles as Sony | | | | excellent place to look for online games is Every |
| fought to have the emulator shut down. | | | | Video Game ( While the site does not in fact |
| However, the emulators have a strong following | | | | contain 'every video game' it does have a very |
| and very active user base. | | | | large list of old games from the arcades, |
| Emulators are easy to find and download. Simply | | | | GameBoy, NES, and Master System all playable |
| search for the system you want and add the | | | | through your browser. Many remakes can also be |
| word emulator to the end (e.g. "SNES Emulator") | | | | found at Shockwave's site ( |
| and you'll probably come up with a lot of hits. Be | | | | Some of the old games have even been remade |
| slightly wary as some emulator sites will either be | | | | and updated for this modern world we now live in. |
| false links or may contain pornographic ads. | | | | Try doing a search for remakes of a game title |
| Setting the emulators up to run is usually fairly | | | | you particularly enjoyed and you may be |
| straightforward and there's a fair chance that | | | | surprised at what you find. There are games that |
| you'll be able to find some documentation and | | | | have been updated to be 3D, such as some old |
| help. Some of the newer systems require a BIOS | | | | favourites of mine: Pac man ( and Barbarian ( and |
| image to be installed with the emulator. This is to | | | | while these might not always be brilliant games or |
| get around the legal issues raised by Sony in the | | | | remakes in their own right, the thought and effort |
| Bleem! legal battles by requiring you to be in | | | | put in often leads to an enjoyable diversion. There |
| possession of a Playstation BIOS (and hence, | | | | are also more traditional versions of games that |
| presumably, a Playstation) in order to play the | | | | have just updated the code as well as possibly |
| games on your computer. Making a BIOS image | | | | the graphics so that they can still be run. |
| to load into your computer will most likely be | | | | So if you're feeling nostalgic or just can't get the |
| beyond your technical expertise, but a quick | | | | hang of these new-fangled games that require |
| check of your console's case will reveal the file | | | | you to push fifty buttons in a precise |
| you need to get and then it's as simple as | | | | configuration just to jump, you may like to check |
| searching the internet for a BIOS image that | | | | out the emulation and remake scene. It's |
| matches the BIOS you already own. | | | | surprisingly entertaining to go back in time to |
| Of interest are the PC emulators now available. | | | | when games were simple yet fun. |