Old Console Emulators

I've been playing video games since the original NES console. In fact, I still have the cartridges for several of my favorite SNES games stashed away somewhere to this day. I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of them every time I've come across them in a bout of cleaning. So today I decided to try dowloading the free version of SNesdroid and ROM Gripper to find and try out one of the SMES games I remember most fondly to this day (and yes, it is one of the cartridges I still have.) Secret of Mana.

I won't get into the actual game or story, since while the graphics and gameplay were a big deal at the time, they've long since been eclipsed by modern technology. I still think the story itself is a good one, and I enjoy the classic RPGs, so for me, it was worth checking out.

I have discovered that I really hate on-screen D-pads. This might be a deal breaker for me, unfortunately. Because the D-pad and attack buttons are on opposite sides of the screen, it requires a certain amount of coordination. New, again, I've been playing consoles with controllers for a long time, but trying to use a virtual version of them is just weird. For one thing, the D-pad is in the upper left corner. Which means I have to use my thumb to navigate, and the controls aren't really precise. I spent more time trying to get my character to go where I wanted him to than actually playing. I would rather see the D-pad on the right, and my attack buttons on the left, if I have to use them. I know these are ports of old games, but I would love to see someone figure out how to make them touch-ssensitive so I could just tap where I want to go. Not an easy feat, I know, so I won't hold my breath for that one. A girl can dream.

The Rom Gripper app works incredibly well, making it easy to find games, download them, and then it automatically launches the emulator to play. It stores all the data on the SD card, which is a must for this type of data-intensive type of application.

Overall, honestly, as much as I love the old SNES games, and the opportunity to play them again is a big draw, I'll probably uninstall it from my phone. The clunky controls, through no fault of the emulator's developer, are just too awkward to make playing fun. If I have to really concentrate on just moving forward, while I'm getting hammered by enemies I can't get turned around to fight correctly, it just takes the enoyment out of it. This is a category of app I'll definetely revisit as developers find new and better ways to bring old games to new technology, but for now, I'll just stick with games like Pocket Legends, which are designed for touch-screen controls.