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With almost every year of release, Pokemon has continually increased the number in Pokedex with every new game release. Now, with thousands of registered Pokemon and it is on Gen IX, have you ever thought of playing the older Gen Pokemon Games to get some of that pixel and nostalgia vibes to it? Generally, users would need older game consoles like GAME BOY Advance to play it; with the console being discontinued, finding a decent older-gen console is challenging for everyone. Fast forward, there can still be ways for users like you to get your hands on older-gen Pokemon games by using a Pokemon Emulator. This virtual Gameboy-like software can play an array of supported games, Pokemon included, without needing a physical console or a physical copy of games.
There are already tons of emulator apps/software available on PC and mobile devices out there, with some being available to use freely and some being paid, but this guide will help you get a basic understating of what is a Pokemon emulator, the best emulator software for Windows/Mac operating system device, as well as Pokemon emulator Android/iOS.
Table of contents
Pokemon Emulator is a virtual game console that serves as a software application device that copies the original hardware of the game console to play older-gen games like Pokemon on devices like desktops and smartphones. This allows emulators to still play and reminisce about early retro vibes games, replicating the gaming experience across popular and classic games from consoles like Game Boy, Nintendo, and more.
Eliminating the need for a physical older console and games, these Pokemon emulators must only be installed on any of your devices and run the Pokemon games files known as ROMs to fully play the older-gen Pokemon games. Emulator Pokemon games like Pokemon Emerald, FireRed, LeafGreen, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black 2, and White 2 are some of the classic remakes and content-rich games that are playable with the following Pokemon Emulator software below.
Mesena multi-system emulator supports running games in NES, SNES, Game Boy (Color), Game Boy Advance, PC Engine, SMS/Game Gear and WonderSwan (Color) console. With a straightforward menu bar housing easy access to loading of games, setting configuration, and tools like cheats, debugging, and save states. Making Mesen an ideal emulator for a simple yet easy-to-use Pokemon emulator PC.
Features
• Auto-saving features.
• Multiple audio filters.
• Reduces slowdown in playing Pokemon games.
• Easy rewind gameplay.
• Allows online gaming multiplayer.
Pricing
Free to download and use.
Pros | Cons |
● Availability to Windows, Linux, and macOS devices. ● A beginner-friendly Pokemon emulator. | ● The developer has now stopped working on updates for the Mesen emulator. ● Mesen can be demanding on system resources. |
puNES is another PC-based emulator for playing Pokemon games. Available to Windows and Linux devices. This Pokemon emulator software is portable and easy to run on PC as, by doing so will instantly greet you with a static TV screen, giving that good old classic retro vibes to it. Another straightforward functionality of puNES is that users can instantly load their Pokemon files to play.
Features
• The simple layout of controls and adjustment settings.
• Nostalgic control pad.
• Easy save and load up of game parts.
• It is capable of playback and rewind features.
• Supports cheat functions.
Pricing
Free to download and use.
Pros | Cons |
● Simple and organized user interface. ● Easy-to-use Pokemon emulator. ● Open-source emulator. | ● Does not support Mac devices. ● Its developer no longer supports it. |
Ares emulator is another open-source Pokemon emulator Windows/macOS/Linux. Ares Emulator is a predecessor of Higan and BSNES emulator and it is developed with accuracy and preservation from its core.
Features
• It can sync the game’s audio and video output for smoother gameplay.
• Save and load state feature for easy resume of playing.
• Reducing lag and input response time.
• Rewind and fast-forward functionality for skipping unnecessary parts of the games.
Pricing
Free to download and use.
Pros | Cons |
● Support running games from multiple consoles in playing different early-generation Pokemon games. ● Accurately mimics the original hardware of a console. ● Simple user interface. | ● Cheat codes are not supported.● Its wide support to many systems poses a problem of to game not working properly. |
It is a Pokemon emulator that can be used on iOS/macOS/iPadOS/tvOS devices. An open-source emulator with an innovative picture processing unit for displaying pixel background graphics. Making it one of the best-picked when looking for a Pokemon emulator Mac.
Features
• Supports touch screen controls.
• Auto-save and save state feature upon exiting the app.
• It uses a nostalgic virtual game controller.
• It is capable of skipping duplicate frames when playing.
Pricing
Free to download and use.
Pros | Cons |
● Safe to use the Pokemon emulator for Apple devices. ● Optimized and well-regulated game emulator. ● Lightweight emulator. | ● Compared to other emulators, this one is lacking in some basic features. |
This Pokemon emulator is a straight-up Game Boy Advanced-like console available to download and use for iOS devices. Featuring a wide array of features for smoother gameplayands a generous amount of customization control on the user. In addition, GBA4iOS has access and allows users to use a cheat system to make Pokemon gameplay more fun and hassle-free.
Features
• Powerful and compact Pokemon GBA emulator.
• Save start functionality is supported.
• It uses cloud-based storage systems.
• Capable of accessing the cheat system.
Pricing
Free to download and use.
Pros | Cons |
● It is safe to use an emulator. ● Simple and functional Pokemon emulator. ● Easy-to-use. | ● The installation process is difficult as the application is unavailable on the App Store. ● Compatible to only iPad and iOS devices. |
One popular Pokemon emulator, the Delta emulator, was developed to run and access various games. Having the same developer with the GBA4iOS emulator, it is propelled to have, if not the same, but with a more advanced feature in playing Pokemon and other classic games. In accessing Pokemon ROM for Delta emulator, there are many available on the internet that Delta supports, so downloading Game Boy Advanced games is easy.
Features
• Capable of auto-save state.
• Retro compact virtual controller.
• Access and support to cheat the system of every game.
• Customization setting for user convenience.
• Fully integrates into the 3D haptic touch feature of iOS.
• Capable of fast-forwarding and rewinding gameplay.
Pricing
Free to download and use.
Pros | Cons |
● It uses cloud-based storage to save game progress. ● Lightweight Pokemon emulator application. ● Easy to download and use. ● Free and open source. ● Available in the Apple App Store. | ● Currently not available for Android users. |
My Boy! The emulator is the closest with the same features and feels to Game Boy Advance (GBA). Thanks to its impeccable performance, intuitiveness, and features, it is regarded as the best GBA emulator for Android devices. Although My Boy! Has a paid version, which allows users to be free from ads and unlock all emulator features; the free tier, on the other hand, is also great for use.
Features
• Supports link cable emulation for Pokemon battling and trading.
• Fast forwarding feature of the game up to 2x speed.
• Houses the basic function of a game console to play GBA games and more.
• In-game cheat system supported.
• Fully supports Bluetooth controllers.
Pricing
Free to download and use.
Pros | Cons |
● Safe and easy to use. ● Lightweight on mobile devices. | ● Prone to crashes problem. ● Compatibility issues with games. ● There are some feature restrictions in its free version. ● It has ads. |
Before each Pokemon emulator has made their way on our list, we test each emulator to ensure that it lives up to what it claims their emulator has.
1. We run the same version of Pokemon to see which emulator is best and runs smoothly to include it in our list.
2. We also check the features offered by each emulator to test out their saving capabilities and customize the virtual controller for user-preferred settings.
3. We also check the supported game console of each emulator.
4. We made sure to list the emulators based on their accessibility to users, like considering them free-to-use emulators to help users save money.
5. For the convenience use of every emulator, we test out how each emulator is easy to use and straightforward in terms of its interface.
6. Safe emulator use is another factor we looked into to ensure users’ data safety.
With the best Mesen Emulator, you can not only play classic games, but also learn to use various tools to optimize your gaming experience. For example, in Pokémon Go, you can use certain methods to change your location and unlock additional game features.
Are Pokémon Emulators Legal?
Yes, game emulators are legal and have been around for quite some time no; with having many emulators online for users to access and use, the problem arises with the distribution of ROMs or in-game files. These game files used for emulators are pirated copies of the original game, considered illegal in many countries.
Can I Play Pokémon Games on My Phone?
You can now play the old and classic Pokemon games through your mobile device thanks to the mobile application emulator available in your app store. Among these mobile emulators are My Boy!, Drastic, Citra, Delta, and iNDS. Knowing the best Pokémon Go locations is also crucial to help you play the game more effectively.
Can I Use Cheat Codes in Emulators?
Yes, most emulators have added cheat system features to make playing classic games fun and easy. Although cheating in the game is fastening the process of playing it and ignoring the overall game purpose, it is one thing that reminiscing about certain games like Pokemon can do to avoid consuming much of the game’s time. Moreover, players can still play the game with or without the cheat. It’s just a matter of preferences.
Conclusion
With that being said, the best Pokemon online emulator out there is the one that should cater to all your needs as a player and user. This guide lists various Pokemon emulators, from desktop software to mobile device applications. Moreover, through our testing, we have reviewed each, showing their pros and cons regarding the emulator’s ability to respond when we use the tool. Suppose you are still unsure what to use, even if you are reading our review on each Pokemon emulator. In that case, we suggest checking each of them to experience their performance and to know the best features that will be more convenient to you in playing various classic Pokemon games.
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