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