If you're a kid of the 90s, you're probably familiar with classic Nintendo 64 games like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong 64, or GoldenEye 007. Back then, all you had to do was place the game cartridge in the console. , take out the controller and have fun. Unfortunately, things come and go and Nintendo stopped producing N64 consoles. But thanks to technological advances, developers have created N64 emulators so you don't have to search the internet for consoles that are only used to play your favorite N64 games.
So if you miss the classic video games you played before, we have something tasty for you. We have already covered other console emulators likeNES emulatorsBefore. Buckle up this time as we round up the best N64 emulators and walk you through using them on your Android devices. Let's start!
In this article
| 1. Classic Boy Oro | 7. Tendo64 |
| 2. Mupen64 Plus AE | 8. I want the N64 emulator |
| 3. Mupen64Plus FZ | 9. Emulator M64 |
| 4. Retro bow | 10 Project 64 |
| 5. Super64Pro | 11. N64-Emulator Pro |
| 6. MegaN64 | 12. SuperN64 |
What is N64?
N64 is Nintendo's fifth generation video game console, released in 1996. Known for its iconic M-shaped controller, analog stick, and chunky cartridges, it is probably the most remembered game console of all time. It's the first console with 64-bit gaming (hence the name), which means higher resolution and better overall performance, and the last with a cartridge-based form factor. What drew people to the N64, beyond the fun, high-end games you can play on it, is how it revolutionized 3D movement in gaming with its C keys and joystick that competing consoles lacked. like PlayStation. Another great thing was that it could handle four player split screen and still run smoothly.
But with the advantages come some disadvantages. While it looked unique, the controller wasn't the most ergonomic. With the M-shaped controller, the idea was to give gamers the best of both gaming worlds; The outer handles, which housed the directional pad and C keys, were designed for traditional, often 2D, gaming. So if you want to play 3D games e.g. B. Mario Party or Super Mario 64, use the joystick on the center grip and the C keys on the right grip. But the problem was that it was uncomfortable to play and gamers even had blisters on their palms due to the joystick. As a result, a lawsuit was filed against Nintendo and they were required to provide gamers with protective gloves as part of the settlement. Another drawback was that the N64 was stuck with ROM cartridges, which were more expensive and had less storage space, even when its competitors already used hard drives. Eventually, the N64 became obsolete, its sales plummeting, and it was discontinued in April 2002 after the release of the GameCube. Nintendo sold a total of 32.93 million N64 units worldwide.
The best N64 emulators for Android
Although it has been discontinued for almost two decades, there is still a high demand for N64 games. Thanks to emulators, you can now play these games on your phone. So let's dive in, shall we? Here is our list of the best N64 emulators that you should definitely have on your Android phone:
1. Classic Boy Oro
Developer:PortableAndroid
System requirements:Android 4.1 o superior
Preis:libre
ClassicBoy Gold is undoubtedly one of the best N64 emulators out there. There are two versions: the lite version and the full version. The Lite version has some pretty impressive features such as customizable graphical buttons, gamepad mapping, audio reverb, and automatic save game state and slot saving features. With the full version, you get all the features of the lite version, plus touch and gesture controls, as well as automatic game state loading and slot loading features. In addition, more plugins can be downloaded and more games are supported in the full version.
Download from Google Play Store
2. Mupen64 Plus AE
Developer:Pablo Lamm
System requirements:Android 2.0 o superior
Preis:Free, with option to donate
If you have an older version of Android phone but still want to play classic N64 games, Mupen 64 Plus AE is for you. This emulator supports almost all N64 games. It's also great graphically as it perfectly mimics the quality of the original version of the game, adding to the nostalgic feeling of playing N64 games. And some games have even better graphics. The only concern with this emulator is its control system, as some players have problems with it, while for others it seems to work fine. It mainly depends on the specifications of the phone.
Download from Google Play Store
3. Mupen64Plus FZ
Developer:Francisco Zurita
System requirements:Android 5.0 o superior
Preis:libre
Mupen64Plus FZ is another N64 emulator designed exclusively for Android. Initially this can be a bit difficult to use on a touch screen phone. But the good thing is that the control panels are customizable, so you can get used to them quickly. Another good thing about Mupen64Plus FZ is that it fully supports a variety of archive formats like .n64, .v64, .z64, and even .zip. Like Mupen64Plus AE, the FZ edition offers top-notch graphics and video settings can also be easily adjusted through the settings menu.
Download from Google Play Store
4. Retro bow
Developer:Libretro
System requirements:Android 8.0 o superior
Preis:libre
RetroArch is one of the best known video game emulators and for good reason; It offers many advanced features such as automatic joypad configuration, a polished user interface, backspace, netplay, and accessibility features for the blind. RetroArch also has shaders that greatly improve the rendering of old games, recreating their appearance and even allowing you to stack them to create your own effect. That's not all: this emulator also allows you to record your gaming session to a video file and stream it on platforms like YouTube and Twitch. So if you're a gaming streamer, then RetroArch might be for you. RetroArch also serves asDS Emulator for Android.
Download from Google Play Store
5. Super64Pro
Developer:superemulation
System requirements:Android 5.0 o superior
Preis:3,99 $
Seeing that price, you might be tempted to give the Super64Pro a soft pass, but hear us out on this one. This emulator is like Super64Plus but it works better even if you have multiple players. It has a very user-friendly interface, so it's great if you're not familiar with emulators and ROMs. Another thing you might like about Super65Pro is that it rarely, if ever, fails. It offers a good gaming experience for a few extra bucks, so it's definitely worth a try.
Download from Google Play Store
6. MegaN64
Developer:FGEA
System requirements:Android 4.4 o superior
Preis:libre
With over 1.9 million downloads, MegaN64 is one of the most popular Android N64 emulators on the market. All N64 games are compatible with this emulator, from Super Mario 64 to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. What really sets MegaN64 apart from other emulators is its ease of use and fast loading times. Setup is easy and you don't even need to touch the setup options to start playing your N64 tracks. But just like the other emulators on this list, the controls and visual settings can also be customized. The only drawback is that it does not have many external features and plugins and has some popup ads. That being said, it's still a good, no-fuss emulator.
7. Tendo64
Developer:Loyal Group Company
System requirements:Android 5.0 o superior
Preis:libre
Tendo64 is another reliable N64 emulator. It has many great features such as customizable button layout, game cheats, physical control abilities, and local multiplayer abilities. It even supports an OUYA controller if you have one and it supports 20+ languages. However, the downside is that not all N64 games are compatible with Tendo64, but most are.
Download from Google Play Store
8. I want the N64 emulator
Developer:modcraft
System requirements:Android 5.0 o superior
Preis:libre
The Pretend N64 has all the great features of the best video game emulators and more. Video quality and on-screen buttons are customizable, and the user interface is easy to use. It lets you save and load games at any time, supports wireless controllers and multiplayer, and has GameShark, ActionReplay, and CodeBreaker cheats. It also has no glitches or video lag. But if you are a Sony user, you might want to stay away from this one as there are several reports of persistent issues and the frequency with which the Pretendo N64 emulator crashes on Sony devices. Otherwise it works perfectly.
9. Emulator M64
Developer:P92k
System requirements:Android 1.6 o superior
Preis:libre
Similar to Mupen64Plus AE emulator, M64 emulator is backward compatible with Android. The M64 allows you to use cheat codes, save and load game state, customize touchscreen controller settings and graphics, and sync your Android with a controller if you want to use one. It also supports .n64, .v64, .z64, and .zip file formats. And the best part is that it works great on any Android device and takes up very little space!
Download from Google Play Store
10. Project 64
Developer:Zilmar, Shygoo y Azimer
System requirements:Android 4.2 o superior
Preis:libre
Project 64 is considered to be one of the best and most popular N64 emulators available in the gaming market. The interface is simple and easy to use, and you can pretty much play your favorite N64 games without customizing anything. But it also has a wide variety of configuration options so you can play the way you want. It's not the best when it comes to graphics, but it mimics the graphics and sound of the original N64 games very well, especially if your device has decent RAM and graphics card. It has excellent compatibility and, unlike other emulators, it does not require a BIOS. Like the MegaN64 emulator, it doesn't have many features, but it does have multiplayer support and cheat codes built in, and it allows you to adjust the aspect ratio without unnecessarily cropping or stretching.
11. N64-Emulator Pro
Developer:Nikido games
System requirements:Android 4.4 o superior
Preis:libre
N64 Emulator Pros is fully featured and impressively fast, especially with newer Android phones. It has high-quality graphics, customizable button layout, save and load game state features, built-in cheat codes, and multiplayer features. One small complaint gamers have with this emulator is that it doesn't have many control inputs, but other than that, N64 Emulator Pro is highly recommended.
Download from Google Play Store
12. SuperN64
Developer:Can-Tho-Emulator
System requirements:Android 4.1 o superior
Preis:libre
Last but not least is the SuperN64 emulator. SuperN64 is another modified version of Mupen64Plus. It has all the features you need in a video game emulator: auto save functions, save and load game state, customizable buttons and d-pad. It also supports .n64, z64, v64, .zip and .rar game files. Also, it has a simple and user-friendly interface that works smoothly.
How to use N64 emulators on Android phones?
Now that you know what the best N64 emulators are, it's time to try them out on your Android device. Using an emulator is very easy; All you need to do is take out your Android device, connect to the Internet, and follow these simple steps:
- Download your N64 emulator.
- Add the game file to your emulator library.
- If you want, you can set the opacity of your controller and touch screen buttons to play with the method that suits you best.
- Tap on the game you want to play, press start and enjoy the game.
How to get N64 ROM BIOS?
You couldn't enjoy your N64 emulator if you didn't have the games to play it. You will need your N64 ROMs for this. Simply put, an N64 ROM, which stands for "Read Only Memory," is the file that contains a copy of your N64 game. There are numerous websites that offer free N64 ROMs, but of course, it would not be legal to get your ROMs from these websites. The best and safest way to play your favorite N64 games with an emulator is to copy a game ROM file from a cartridge you already own. This process is also known as "dumping."
Are N64 emulators legal?
N64 emulators are inherently legal, as their sole purpose is to emulate the Nintendo 64 gaming system. The tricky part is how to get the games you play with the emulator. Just like movies and music, keeping, using and distributing N64 ROM files that you haven't purchased is copyright infringement and therefore illegal. So, to enjoy a guilt-free N64 emulator, you need to buy the games legally. For example, if you've already bought a copy of Paper Mario, it's perfectly legal to play it on your phone using an emulator.
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Many of us want to relive our best memories by playing Nintendo 64 games with our friends or siblings in our living rooms and this is now possible thanks to N64 emulators. While playing these classic games on our phones doesn't offer the same experience as playing with Nintendo's iconic M-shaped controller and chunky cartridges, they can work just as well. We hope this guide has helped you in your search for the best N64 emulator. Tell us which is your favorite!