It’s not a secret that vintage video game consoles are now perceived not only as entertainment devices of the time long gone, but also as essential tools that help people preserve the pop-culture legacy. Today’s article is concerned with one of the best-selling handheld console of all time – Nintendo DS - and the tricks that can help you start playing classic console games on your computer or other device. If you are one of those guys that consider retrogaming a prerequisite for a pleasant pastime you definitely need a couple of nice Nintendo DS ROMs and a reliable emulator. Go on reading to learn more about emulators and the best emulator games that are worth playing even in the second decade of the 21st century.
Where to Download the Best ROMs?
If you’re reading this article, it’s not difficult to deduce that you’re enamored of the Nintendo DS, or simply NDS, which is truly a legend of handheld gaming. Notwithstanding the fact that it was discontinued almost 7 years ago, Nintendo DS remains one of the most popular retro consoles whose games still fascinate slews of classic gamers.
To reunite with pocket monsters, Luigi, Nintendogs, or Link, you don’t need a physical handheld anymore. But what you definitely won’t do without is quality DS ROMs which you can download right now from dedicated retrogaming websites.
Best Games to Play
It’s hard to pick the best games . Some gamers are looking to play Pokémon games, while others are itching to play Mario Kart DS or Grand Theft Auto: China Town. But what we know for sure is that it’s a rare retro gamer who doesn’t take interest in New Super Mario Bros. ROMs. Make no mistake, the Mario franchise still keeps thrilling hordes of fans of classic gaming. By the way, you can find almost any installment in this cult series of console video games on the retro gaming sites offering abandonware, emulators, and old-school games. To top up your collection, we recommend downloading some games from the Dragon Ball Z anime series, a couple of The Legend of Zelda ROMs, and any Pokémon ROM for your emulator.
Nintendo DS Emulators
Now it’s time to speak about emulators. Once you select the ROMs you want to play, proceed to choose a piece of software that acts as a video game console. Go on reading to learn what emulator is the right fit for you.
Platforms that Support NDS ROMs
Nowadays, you can find a stable emulator to play virtually any NDS game on the operating system your computer or portable device runs.
Windows
Lots of gamers prefer playing games exactly on their Windows computers. Among the most popular emulators that allow running NDS games on a PC are DeSmuMe, DSemu, Dualis, IDeaS, NeonDS, and No$GBA.
If you’re looking for an active and neatly developed emulator that won’t let you down during the gameplay, opt for DeSmuMe and No$GBA. They are the best solutions for running regular DS games without noticeable lags and bugs. We recommend that you avail yourself of the latest versions of these emulators to ensure the best possible gaming experience.
The owners of low-end machines should choose DSemu, Dualis, IDeaS, or NeonDS. These popular lightweight emulators will help you play some of the most popular undemanding DS and Game Boy games on your Windows PC.
Linux
As for Linux users, we suggest trying out BGB, which is surely the best solution for Linux PCs. Other worthwhile options include Dualis, Duos, No$GBA, NeonDS, Ideas, DeSmuMe. All of these emulators have been found to work well with the majority of DS games as well. They boast a number of advanced features that can impress even a seasoned retro gamer. And even more functions and improvements are underway!
Mac OS
Though currently the emulation market is not overflowing with the solutions for Mac OS platforms, we want to mention some that are worth looking at.
Arguably, the best NDS emulator for Mac OS and Mac OS X platform is DeSmuMe. This accurate emulator is famed for such features as full state saves support, TAS compatibility, the ability to adjust screen size and position without third-party software, as well as ability to customize the button layout. It’s also equipped with the JIT recompiler and a number of worthy debuggers, which allows speeding up emulation and minimizing input lag.
You may also consider using the DeSmuMe’s popular fork, X432R, which contains some enhancements and improvements, also can be successfully used on Mac devices.
Such tools as GBE and NooDS are also positioned as active emulators capable of running DS games on Mac platforms. But truth be told, they are highly inferior to their DeSmuMe counterpart in terms of accuracy, performance, and capabilities covered. Moreover, they are still very poorly handled.
Android
Now that portable devices are being on the roll, classic gamers prefer installing emulators and play games on Android platforms. If you’re also eager to play games on the go, check out the Drastic DS. This emulator features support for gamepad, improved graphics, and screen layout customization. Exactly what you need!
Nds4droid is an open source solution that allows playing most of Nintendo DS ROMs on your favorite OS. Still the emulation speed of the tool in question may be somewhat frustrating. It’s also not immune to occasional glitches.
Another tool worth giving a shot is EmuBox. It’s a simple yet powerful emulator that supports the basic emulation features and helps you run popular Nintendo DS titles on a variety of mobile devices.
Ready! Set! Go! Now you dive into retro fun and get the most out of your gaming!