The reality is emulation exists and the games industry has the option of embracing it and properly monetizing it. That said, there are a lot of retro consoles out there that come packed with games they probably shouldn’t have. It’s a handy tool that is unfortunately too often demonized. Emulation is why so many games have been saved, and this tech is used by lots of major studios and platforms. While many larger companies may tout how emulation leads to piracy, that is usually not the case, at least when looking at the data and studies that have been done so far.

To put it more simply, emulation is mimicry and often comes with a bad reputation. The most common and often most versatile retro-gaming option is emulation, a software type that enables games to be played on platforms they were not originally made for, such as running the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) version of The Legend of Zelda on the Nintendo Switch Online service. Three Modern Solutions to Retro Gaming Emulation In this list are 10 excellent retro gaming options, solutions, consoles, and gifts for those wanting a blast from the past. Fortunately, fans of retro gaming have a lot of options these days aside from just owning a particular classic console and game. Even Nintendo, a company that once had lots of legacy games for sale on the Wii U virtual console, offers a fraction of them for its Nintendo Switch. In a way, there is a digital struggle going on that feels like the battles of those pursuing the right to repair various machines and tech. Thankfully, some have successfully been preserved by hobbyists and hackers-one user recreated the source code for the original Diablo. Games don’t always have that luxury, and we are quickly losing access to a lot of them in an official capacity.

For films, director’s cuts or remastered versions often hit the market in a variety of ways, usually in the form of digital or physical releases. Much like books or films, video games have a lasting value that is often underrepresented by the companies or individuals that created them. His favorite pursuits include researching classic games and speaking with developers for deeper insight. His website includes content that covers games across all eras on most platforms, such as PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. About the Expert: Alex McCumbers has been exploring a wide variety of games for most of his life, always keeping legacy consoles in mind rather than moving forward as new game consoles are released.

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