KarmaX said:
1. You get a rom, use an emulator and load the file and the game plays.
(EDIT: PlayStation and Disc-Media based emulators as you mention are quite different than basic ones. Not a good choice to start with. That's slightly more advanced. But not impossible. Though you will need a bios image to run it, large disc iso images, and configure plugins. They are completly different, but easy to get the hang of if you read instructions on how to set one up (and where to get PSX bios fies. But yes, NOT a good emulator to start with)
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2. Actually, it's just as well anyway, since these games shouldn't really be carte blanche stolen for free, and at least most of the time, really should still be supported from official sources like the Virtual Console, the Upcoming NES Classic or at the very least, the used game market by procuring an NES or a similar hardware clone system, locate or start a collection of legit game carts (the best way to properly enjoy them, imo), since most common and quite a few uncommon games can be found in a variety of places for little to no money or bargains to be found depending on the way you go about looking for them or finding good deals.The gaming scene, even the retro collecting or retro game scene in general really does deserve the support.
I mean honestly, just because games are easy to steal on the internet really doesn't mean that it should be done, even if you just "don't want to spend money", and doesn't make it less of what it is... pretty much blatant theft.
I mean, not to say I havn't ever used emulators, in fact, I do often, but even so, I try to maintain a pretty sizable collection of retro games out of basic respect for them, AND occasionally buy virtual console titles, as well as having used emulated games (mostly of games I already own legitimately in one fashion or another) to play rom hacks, or sometimes play rom hacked fan translations of games that never even came out in my reigon at all, ever.
So i'm not against emulation itself, but at the same time, I do it knowing full well that I don't just use it as an excuse to take whatever I want for free, and that I also at least try to do just as much to support the games as well from the various methods they're attainable from today either legitimately from used stores, pawn shops, online stores, and even the occasional reasonable ebay deal here and there, or just trades and business with friends. And I'm FAR from being rich or anything. I often have to get by, pay bills, buy food, living expenses and live from month to month sometimes week to week, but personally, I still find it worth it to put int he effort, find a good deal every now and then and put some pride in more than just taking things for nothing illegally all the time.
Now, it's not my intention to be unnecessarily harsh here or anything, but with all of the ways that older games are affordably going back up on the market from digital eShops, and game collecting as a hobby being rewarding and not nearly as ridicuous as insane prices for a FEW rare games and news stories out there suggests, there's never been a better or more apt time than the last 10 years or so, to spend a little money, time or effort to enjoy classic games even in a casual sense. Not against emulation in short dosages, but using it as a crutch to get out of having to pay real money for something? That's not really a great thing in general.
But hey, that having been said, it's not my place to try and stop you. If you really wanna emulate some games, edgeemu.com is a good resource for roms, and emulator-zone.com is a great source for emulators. They are absolutely easy to use. Get a game, get an emulator, load it up and play. That's all there is to it.
I would just personally hope that you also consider also spending a little bit of occasional pocket change per month on the retro gaming revival or community scene, or purchasing a few digital copies of popular games on Virtual Console eShops, because it's actually kind of fun and kind of rewarding to get into retro gaming as a side hobby even if you aren't particularly wealthy at all.
Either way, they will still cost you vastly vastly VASTLY less than the amount of money that current modern gaming can easy run you often, for even as much as half the fun sometimes.
honestly i decided fuck it and just decided to save up for a virtual copy of the game i wanted to play