From the PC-Engine to the Nintendo DS, RetroArch has pretty much every console ever made tucked away inside it, and it uses ‘cores’ to emulate all the different games. Like OpenEMU, RetroArch is one of those emulators that holds a large number of different consoles in one golden-age-of-gaming hub. RetroArch is the 4th program in our list of the best NES emulators of all time, and it’s also one of the most versatile emulators on the internet. Plus there’s a nifty cheat mode option too for anyone who loves the easy life.

Hook up joysticks or gamepads and play your favourite games in glorious full-screen mode. We’re also all about playing as much as possible and not doing as much work, but don’t let that get out… We’re all about playing games with as little work as possible here at Dodo Towers! It plays a large number of NES games flawlessly and is a solid choice for PC gamers everywhere.ĭon’t worry any seasoned emulator pros out there can still mess around with settings to get the best results if they wish, but it’s not necessary to enjoy all those retro NES vibes. Like Nestopia UE, VirtualNES just gets on with the job at hand and doesn’t need a lot of messing around with to work. VirtualNES takes the 3rd spot in this list of the best NES emulators of all time! Just download it and give it a try you won’t be disappointed. I could talk about how much I love OpenEMU for a long time, but that would bore you and send my word count sky high. It’s like brain surgery, but OpenEMU simplifies it and makes it easy for dimwits like me to understand. Seriously, I find controller mapping to be a tedious task and one that I had difficulty with when I first got into computer gaming. Drop ROM files in and sit back as OpenEMU puts them into alphabetical order and displays a neat little graphic of the game cover.Īnd the controller mapping screen takes all the stress out of setting up an external controller on any system. I’ve referred to OpenEMU before as looking like the retro gaming world’s version of iTunes that’s how slick it is. It looks like something Apple should have designed and works a treat. For starters, it’s the best looking program on the internet bar none. OpenEMUĪs a prolific Mac aficionado, this is one of the best emulators I’ve ever downloaded.

It’s a nice, simple emulator and one that helps to keep the best NES titles alive. Yes, there’s a bit of frame lag now and again, but it doesn’t affect gameplay that much, and most people will pass over it without a second thought. Or as Brandon might call it, ‘living dat ROM lyf’. In other words, it’s the perfect emulator for those taking their first steps into the world of ROMs. A lot of the features are the same, and while it has plenty of options for tinkering with games, it feels less complicated. In many ways, it’s very similar to RetroArch, an emulator which you may well read about further down this list. We’re all about getting people gaming here at Retro Dodo, and Nestopia UE is one of the easiest and most accessible emulators to turn on without having to fiddle around with other settings or preferences. This is probably going to get some hate from the trolls, but hear me out (or ‘ORRGH UGH ARRRGH’ in Trollish). Scrap that Nestopia UE is the best NES emulator, period. Nestopia UE kickstarts this list of the best NES emulators of all time.

Nestopia emulator review