fMSX

VGB

VGBA

iNES

MG

ColEm

Speccy

AlmostTI

Windows

Android

Symbian

How?

Who?

Tell!

Emulators are programs that run software written for old computers or videogame consoles on the new hardware. Essentially, an emulator makes old software "think" that it is running on the original hardware, while it actually runs on your computer. I am creating emulators since 1993 and have made quite a few of them. For those who would like to try making an emulator on their own but do not know where to start, I have written a short introduction into the craft.

Originally, I developed emulators for PCs and Unix workstations. Once the mobile devices, such as cell phones and tablets, became capable of emulating older hardware, I started porting my emulators to these devices. Thus, at this page you will find my applications for Android-based phones and tablets, as well as some useful tips on setting them up.

If you work for a game company that would like to run its legacy games on mobile phones or other hardware, and need help, contact me.

VGBA GameBoy Advance	iNES NES, Famicom, DiskSystem, VS System	MasterGear MasterSystem, GameGear, SG-1000, SC-3000	VGB GameBoy Color, GameBoy Classic, Super GameBoy
Speccy (free version) Sinclair ZX Spectrum	fMSX (free version) MSX, MSX2, MSX2+	ColEm (free version) ColecoVision	AlmostTI TI Graphing Calcs
Google Play Market All my products are published on the Google Play Market. Please, do not forget to vote!		Aptoide Store My free products can also be found on Aptoide, totally Google-free.
Opera Store You can also download my apps from the Opera Store.		EMUL8 Discussion Group Report and discuss your problems here. You may need to create a Google account to post to this group, but you do not have to become a member.

1. I want to report a bug or make a suggestion!

   The best ways to get help are by reporting your problem on the forum or by emailing me directly. Due to the large number of requests and limited time, I can't handhold you or help you learn how to use my apps. I can only help you if you have found a geniune bug and can explain what it is in clear terms. Generally, it takes a week or two to resolve most issues, unless I am sick, busy, or you are asking about something way over my head.

   Also note that reporting problems in a Google Play review is not very helpful, as it makes more difficult for me to respond to your complaint and clarify what the problem is. Adding negative rating to your Google Play feedback makes it almost certain that I will not waste my time trying to help you. Thus, start by using the forum or emailing me to get help.

   To make my job easier, make sure you...

   • Download the latest application update from Google Play.
   • Report the make and model of your device, the Android version, as well as the application name.
   • Please, provide as much details about your problem as you can.
   • If possible, supply the logcat log output which can be obtained in one of three ways:
     • Run "adb logcat" command on PC (part of Android SDK).
     • Run the DDMS tool on PC (part of Android SDK).
     • Install free Elixir2 application and use it to make and export the log.

2. I want games! I need games! Where do I find games?

   You can find a huge collection of public domain games for old game consoles at the PD ROMs web site. For both legal and ethical reasons, I cannot and will not tell you where to download commercial games for running them with my emulators, even if you email me about it. If you really need to, use an Internet search engine instead. Please, do not download and run any software that you do not already own (i.e. legally bought a cartridge with the same game). It is the right thing to do.

3. Nothing works, saves fail, everything hangs or crashes!

   Aside from using a pirated version (that is known to fail randomly, on different features) and low disk space, this problem may sometimes be caused by a package upgrade. You can fix it by completely removing emulator from your device, then reinstalling it from the Google Play.

4. I have bought the app, but now it says I do not have a valid license!

   To protect against piracy, I had to introduce the Google Play license check into commercial versions of my Android apps. Every now and then, the license check will use the Google Play Store app on your device to see if you have actually bought my app. This operation is completely transparent to the user, unless it fails. My statistics show that license checks fail for about 3% of people. In order to stay in the other 97%, make sure that

   • Your device is logged into the same Google account you used to buy the app.
   • Your device has at least intermittent Internet connection, so that the Google Play Store app can connect to the server.
   • If the above two steps do not help, try uninstalling and then reinstalling the application.
   • If the above steps do not help, try enabling "Background Data Connections" in your device. There are reports of Google Licensing failing with this setting disabled.
   • If the above steps do not help, go to "Manage Apps", stop the Google Play Store app, and clear its data.
   • If the above steps do not help, reboot the device.
   • If everything fails, contact Google Play support and ask them to track the problem from their end.

5. I cannot save games and screenshots do not show up either.

   The two most common reasons are lack of free disk space and active USB connection to a computer that locks your storage from changes. Also, starting with Android 3.2+, Google essentially disabled writing to the external SD card. This means that if you place emulator files to the external SD card, emulators may not be able to save game states or screenshots. If you encounter this problem with your device, avoid it by always placing files to the internal SD card.

6. Do your emulators work on rooted devices?

   All my applications run normally on rooted devices. There is a catch though. If you have a rooted device with LuckyPatcher or some other cracking tool installed, my products will not run on your device. You always have a choice of removing the pirate tools: once they are gone, my applications will run, whether your device is rooted or not.

7. Emulator is too slow. How do I make it faster?

   First of all, my emulators will always try to mimic the actual hardware speed. You can easily verify that by enabling the "Video | Show Frame Rate" option and noting the "fps" value at the top-left screen corner. As long as this value stays close to 60fps (50fps for PAL hardware like ZX Spectrum), your speed is just fine. If you still want emulation to run faster than that, disable the "Video | Sync Display" option and watch things take off.

   Let us now suppose that you are not getting the optimal speed. The emulation speed generally depends on your hardware, the other software you are running, and your emulation settings. Follow these simple steps to improve the speed:

   • Disable CPU-intensive "Video | Soften Video" and "Video | TV Scanlines" options to free CPU for more important tasks.
   • Enable "Video | Hardware Video Acceleration" option to start scaling video with the 3D accelerator hardware, instead of the CPU.
   • Disable "Video | Sync Display" option to remove the speed limiter and run emulation as fast as possible instead.
   • Open "Video | Frames to Draw" setting and choose a lower number of frames to draw. My experience shows that you can easily set it to 30-35% frames without sacrificing too much gameplay quality. Do not set it to "Auto", as it may sometimes slow the emulation down.

8. How can I make fast-forward stay on all the time?

   To make FFWD button a toggle switch, enable "General | Persistent Fast-Forward" option. Please note that if you are trying to play games with fast-forwarding always on, you may be better off following performance improvement advice instead.

9. How do I remove the title bar from the top of my screen?

   To quickly toggle the title bar, place your finger at the middle of the screen and flick it up to the top to hide the the bar. To make the title bar reappear, flick your finger down from the top of the screen. You can also choose to hide the title bar on startup, by enabling the "General | Hide Title Bar" option. This will also hide the menu though. To get the menu back, flick your finger down the screen.

10. When I rotate my Gingerbread device, the picture disappears!

    There appears to be a bug in Android 2.x (Gingebread) that breaks OpenGLES views when you rotate the device. Starting from August 2013, all my emulators come with a workaround for this bug. So, if you are experiencing this problem, head to Google Play and download the latest version of my app.

11. When I use video acceleration, the picture becomes fuzzy.

    When scaling pictures, the OpenGLES hardware always adds a bit of blur, to avoid ugly scaling artifacts. If you do not like the fuzzy picture, disable the "Video | Hardware Video Acceleration" option for the crystal clear image, at the cost of lower performance and shorter battery life.

12. The picture does not fill the screen.

    When not using hardware video acceleration, the emulator will scale picture with the highly optimized assembler code running on your main CPU. This code is tailored for several different screen resolutions. The emulator will choose the resolution that best matches your screen, but may not completely fill it. If you would like the picture to fill your whole screen, enable the "Video | Hardware Video Acceleration" option.

13. Colors look wrong. I want to change them.

    Several emulators, such as iNES and VGB, let you change the color palette to the one you like. In order to make a custom color palette for a game named Game.nes or Game.gb, create a text file named Game.pal with 64 (for iNES) or 16 (for VGB) color definitions in the RRGGBB format, one per line. If you want to have the same custom palette for all the games, place it into /sdcard/iNES/iNES.pal or /sdcard/VGB/VGB.pal instead. Here is a sample VGB palette file:

    FFFFFF ; Normal colors
    989898
    585858
    000000
    FFFFFF ; Background colors
    989898
    585858
    000000
    FFFFFF ; Sprite colors
    989898
    585858
    000000
    FFFFFF ; Window colors
    989898
    585858
    000000
    

14. Sound lags. How do I prevent it from lagging?

    If you feel that the sound lags on your device (i.e. you hear shots a little bit after pressing the fire button), try decreasing the "Audio | Audio Latency" setting. Reducing it too much may cause sound distortions though, so be careful. If your audio becomes distorted, increase the latency. You may also want to try toggling the "Audio | Native Audio" option and see if it makes sound better.

15. Sound clicks and pops. How do I clean it up?

    If you are hearing clicks and pops in the sound, increasing the "Audio | Audio Latency" setting should fix your problem, at the cost of some sound lag. If the sound issues persist, set "Video | Frames to Draw" setting to 35%, or enable "Video | Hardware Acceleration" option to speed up display updates. You may also want to try toggling the "Audio | Native Audio" option and see if it makes sound better.

16. Sound repeats, like an echo. How do I fix it?

    The echo often occurs on slower devices, where emulation cannot keep up with the audio, so the audio repeats, while emulation catches up. You can avoid this problem by optimizing performance to make emulator run faster. If the sound still echoing, increase the "Audio | Audio Latency" setting. You may also want to try toggling the "Audio | Native Audio" option and see if it makes sound better.

17. I cannot press more than two virtual buttons at once. How do I fix it?

    A lot of Android devices have limited multitouch that only lets you use two fingers. On these devices, you simply cannot press more than two virtual buttons at once. My emulators offer a workaround of sorts though. Go into the "Input | Edit Layout" setting and drag buttons so that they overlap a little bit. Now, you can press both buttons by touching the overlapped spot.

18. Virtual joystick buttons are too small, too big, or awkwardly placed. How do I change them?

    To resize joystick buttons, open the "Input | Virtual Joystick Size" setting and choose any size you like. To move buttons, open the "Input | Edit Layout" setting and drag buttons around the screen to the most comfortable spots. Keep in mind that when you rotate your device, each button will "stick" to the closest screen edges.

19. Virtual joystick buttons obscure my screen. Can I change them?

    Normally, you will see transparent controls overlaid on top of the display. To change their opacity or hide the controls altogether, use the "Input | Virtual Joystick Opacity" and the "Input | Virtual Joystick Shape" settings. You can also control the joystick by physically tilting your device, if your device has an accelerometer and you enable the "Input | Tilt Joystick" option.

20. Can I set my own virtual joystick images?

    In my apps, released after August 14 2015, you can supply your own virtual joystick skin. Make a Controls.png file using the image at the right as your template, then stick it into the emulator-specific folder, like /sdcard/iNES or /sdcard/VGB. Then go into "Settings | Input | Edit Joystick Layout" and select "Custom Skin" as the joystick shape.

21. Does joystick have auto-fire? How do I enable it?

    See the "Input | Auto Fire Settings" setting. It lets you choose what buttons are going to have auto-fire.

22. Can I use my keyboard, gamepad, or Xperia Play keys?

    Of course you can use your generic keyboard, gamepad, or joystick with any of my emulators. If your gamepad has a mode switch, make sure it is set to the "generic gamepad" position. You may also want to visit the "Input | Assign Keys" setting in order to make a comfortable button layout for yourself. By default, your keys are going to be assigned as follows:

    Emulator	Keyboard	Gamepad	Xperia Play
    FIRE-A	SPACE, A, S, D, F, G, H, J, K, L	A	CROSS
    FIRE-B	Z, X, C, V, B, N, M	B	CIRCLE
    FIRE-L	Q, E, T, U, O	L1	L
    FIRE-R	W, R, Y, I, P	R1	R
    SELECT	TAB	SELECT, X	SELECT, SQUARE
    START	ENTER	START, Y	START, TRIANGLE
    FFWD	SEARCH	none	SEARCH
    MENU	MENU	MENU, MODE, A+BACK	MENU

23. I have a PowerA MOGA controller. Will it work?

    Starting Feb 26 2013, all new releases of my emulators natively support MOGA gaming controller. Simply turn it on, and once you see the "MOGA controller connected" message on the screen, it is ready to play with. You can still use MOGA with older versions of my products with the help of the free universal MOGA driver available from Google Play. This little app should let you use the MOGA with many applications that do not normally support it.

24. I have an iCade joystick. Will it work?

    Starting Apr 5 2013, all my emulators support iCade joysticks. To enable iCade support, toggle the "Input | iCade Support" option. You may also want to customize the button layout via the "Input | Assign Keys" setting.

25. I have a Sony Sixaxis gamepad. Will it work?

    If you have got a Sony Sixaxis gamepad and a rooted Android device, you can use the gamepad over Bluetooth, with the help of the Sixaxis Controller app from Dancing Pixel. See the application web site for instructions.

26. I have a Nintendo Wiimote controller. Will it work?

    For Nintendo Wiimote users, here is a short tutorial on using Wiimote with my applications, provided by Robert McCurdy.

27. How do I use NetPlay?

    Most of my emulators now support the NetPlay feature that lets you play with other users over your local WiFi network or the Internet. To establish connection, follow these steps:

    • Both players should be running the same game.
    • Both players should be on the same WiFi network or have externally visible IP addresses. NetPlay will not work through NAT.
    • The first player should select "NetPlay" from the menu and then choose "Become Server" option.
    • The second player should select "NetPlay" from the menu and then choose first player's name from the list of available servers.
    • Both emulators will now reset and start playing as if they were the same console with two gamepads.
    • Once you are done playing, uncheck "NetPlay" on both devices to disconnect the NetPlay.

28. I do not see the other player's device.

    In order to use network play, both players must be running the same game and have mutually visible IP addresses. It is only possible if

    • You and your friend are on the same local network, such as same WiFi.
    • You and your friend have globally visible Internet addresses.

    You will not see each other in the NetPlay dialog, unless these conditions are met.

29. What is GameLink and how is it different from NetPlay?

    Unlike stationary consoles which came with a pair of gamepads, the GameBoy and GameBoy Advance handhelds had a special serial cable that let users connect 2-4 handhelds together, for cooperative play. This cable is known as the GameLink and supported in my GameBoy emulators, VGBA and VGB. The GameLink connection works exactly the same way as a regular NetPlay connection.

30. Why does emulator slow down when using NetPlay?

    When using NetPlay, each player must send a lot of data over the network and wait for the other player to acknowledge every packet they send. This wait time slows down the gameplay speed for both players. The wait is slightly worse for GameLink (in VGBA and VGB) because the data needs to be sent more often. While this slowdown is unavoidable and depends on your network speed, I am working to reduce it in the upcoming versions of my products.

31. My cheats do not work.

    Many games are available in different versions, in different languages, or with bugfixes. In order for a cheat code to work, you need to be running exactly the same version of the game that this cheat code has been discovered for. The codes will not work for a different game version, even on the real GameShark or ActionReplay hardware. Besides, many cheat codes found on the Internet contain errors and will not work on any game version. Given how unreliable cheats are to begin with, I usually can't answer the question why your cheat does not work.

32. I cannot enter any cheat codes. No matter what I do, they do not work.

    The easiest way to use cheat codes is by going to Android menu and choosing "Cheats | Cheatopedia" there. Cheatopedia contains premade cheats for many popular games.

    To enter cheats manually, go to the Android menu and choose "Cheats | Edit Cheat Codes". Use the cheat editing interface to add, delete, or edit cheat codes. The editor will not let you enter a code unless your code strictly follows one of the relevant formats:

    System	Device	Format	Comment
    GBA	ActionReplay or GameShark	XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX	"X" = digit from "0" to "9" or letter from "A" to "F".
    	CodeBreaker or GameSharkSP	XXXXXXXX XXXX	"X" = digit from "0" to "9" or letter from "A" to "F".
    GB/GBC	GameGenie	XXX-XXX-XXX	"X" = digit from "0" to "9" or letter from "A" to "F".
    	GameShark	XXXXXXXX	"X" = digit from "0" to "9" or letter from "A" to "F".
    NES	GameGenie	XXXXXX or XXXXXXXX	"X" = letter from "A" to "Z".
    	ActionReplay	XXXXXXXX	"X" = digit from "0" to "9" or letter from "A" to "F", the first two digits are usually "00" or "01".
    SMS/GG	GameGenie	XXX-XXX or XXX-XXX-XXX	"X" = digit from "0" to "9" or letter from "A" to "F".
    	ActionReplay	XXXX-XXXX	"X" = digit from "0" to "9" or letter from "A" to "F".
    CV	Memory POKE	XXXX-XX or XXXX-XXXX	"X" = digit from "0" to "9" or letter from "A" to "F".
    MSX	Memory POKE	XXXXXXXX-XX or XXXXXXXX-XXXX	"X" = digit from "0" to "9" or letter from "A" to "F".

    Please note that emulators will only accept cheat codes in the above formats (whatever ones are relevant). They will not accept codes in any other formats. So, if you cannot enter a code, carefully check its format. Finally, be aware that not all cheats you find on the Internet work, even on the real hardware. Never mix cheats from different sources and try to use cheats that are known to work on at least some other emulator.

    • After you are done entering cheats, press the Android BACK key to return to the emulator.
    • If you are not sure that your cheats are saved, select the "Save" from the Android menu before returning to the emulator.
    • To toggle cheats on/off inside the emulator, go to the Android menu and choose "Cheats On/Off".
    • After exiting and reentering the emulator, you have to toggle cheats on again. The cheats are always off at startup.

33. How do I search for cheats in any game?

    Most of my emulators include the Cheat Hunter tool letting you search for your own cheats in any game. To use the tool, follow these simple steps:

    • Start a game and select "Cheats | Cheat Hunter | Add Watch".
    • Enter the value to search for (money amount, ammo count, lives), how it changes, and the replacement value (like 99).
    • Play the game to make the watched value change.
    • Select "Cheats | Cheat Hunter | Scan for Changes" to find changed memory locations.
    • Repeat previous two steps several times, to minimize false positives.
    • Select "Cheats | Cheat Hunter | Create Cheats" to add and enable found cheat codes.
    • To browse and edit newly found cheats, use "Cheats | Edit Cheats".

34. I want to add my own cheats to the Cheatopedia.

    Yes, you can extend Cheatopedia with your own cheats. In order to do that, you will have to place a text file called custom.chts into emulator-specific folder: /sdcard/VGBA, /sdcard/VGB, or /sdcard/iNES. This file should have the following format:

    [(Custom Cheats)]
    Menu=Game 1
    Menu=Game 2
    ...
    
    [Game 1]
    Menu=Cheat 1
    Menu=Cheat 2
    ...
    
    [Cheat 1]
    12345678 9ABCDEF0
    87654321 0FEDCBA9
    ...
    

    Instead of adding single-line cheats separately, you can also use a shortened notation for them:

    [Game 1]
    Code=5A5A5A5A 23232323 : Cheat 1
    Code=76767676 01010101 : Cheat 2
    

    Once you are done entering cheats and place custom.chts file into proper folder, you should be able to access your custom cheats from the top Cheatopedia menu by clicking on "(Custom Cheats)".

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