14 DAY TRIAL // It’s all next-gen these days. Next-gen graphics and controllers, next-gen screens, next-gen distribution platforms... DLC?! The days of hardcore gaming are, unfortunately, behind us.
For those who’ve witnessed the evolution of console games first-hand – and I’m talking Tetris to Destiny – what’s happening right now is a joke. Everything is a remake, we’re all over the place with the storylines, the graphics are so good that we’re missing the subtext, DLC is fragmenting the experience worse than 8-bit RPG dialog bubbles, and the new IPs that do come across as original have to fight a fierce battle with all the status-quos before it. Gaming, as it stands today, is at its final boss fight. Against itself.
But there’s one subset of gamers that simply doesn’t buy into this stuff. The ones that find comfortable refuge in the glorious 16-bit frameworks that took nerves of steel to master. Pixelated black & white worlds tucked neatly in compact Game Boy cartridges. Or the ambitious 3D universes made possible by the coming of age of optical media. If you’re feeling some nostalgia coming on, I hope you have a Mac.
PC gaming as they’ll never know it
Those days are behind us, alright! But the ROMs aren’t. If you have a Mac that shipped sometime in the last decade and an Internet connection, things like Zelda, Contra, Mario, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Mortal Kombat (the real Mortal Kombat), Streets of Rage, Metal Slug, Earthworm Jim, and Abe’s Odyssey are but a few clicks away.
Grab OpenEmu, tether any new-gen controller to your Mac, use your Google skills to get the games you already own on physical media (don’t be a pirate!), and start reliving those glorious days where checkpoints were scarce, and cloud saves were the stuff of imagination.
You can map your buttons any way you like (wirelessly), save your game at any pace, take snapshots, use video filters, and even record your gameplay if you feel like beating some records for bragging rights on YouTube.
“For the first time, the 'It just works' philosophy now extends to open source video game emulation on the Mac. With OpenEmu, it is extremely easy to add, browse, organize and with a compatible gamepad, play those favorite games (ROMs) you already own.”
Despite not running the latest and the greatest, this is where the Mac truly shines in terms of gaming. In retro terms, both Windows and Linux have a lot of catching up to do. There isn’t a single emulator out there that can beat OpenEmu’s GUI, file management, and controller support. So when you’re having your next debate about which OS can do what, ask them to top this one.
Disclaimer This is a Personal Thoughts piece reflecting the author’s personal opinion on matters relating to Apple and / or the products associated with the Apple brand. This article should not be taken as the official stance of Softpedia on Apple-related matters.