Play, Set Up Sega Genesis Games on Your PC Using an Emulator

The Sega Genesis was a popular gaming console launched in 1988. The popularity of the Genesis lasted for many years, slowly coming to an end in the late '90s.

If you remember the days of staying up late playing Sonic the Hedgehog or one of the hundreds of other games, there's a good chance you'd like to relive those nostalgic feelings for a moment. A gaming emulator is the solution. Allowing old game consoles to live on, emulators are basically virtual consoles for your computer.

An emulator is loaded onto a computer, and then a ROM is run through the emulator. A ROM is a digital image of the old game cartridge, eliminating the need to have the game and console. ROMs can be downloaded online and saved to a USB key or your hard drive.

If you'd like to relive your favorite Sega Genesis games via emulation, read on to find out how.

Items Needed:

Computer

ROMs*

Computer Joystick

Emulator

Step 1: You'll need a computer that can handle running games. Because the Genesis was a simple 16-bit 2D gaming system, the computer you use don't have to be very powerful. A 1GHz processor and 1GB of RAM should be enough (though more is always better).

Step 2: You will need to download an emulator. The emulator you use will depend on the operating system you are running. There are many to choose from, but here are the ones I've found to be the best:

- If you're running Windows, download Fusion.

- If you're running Mac OS X, download DGen Mac Port

- If you're running Linux, download Generator Genesis Emulator

Each one is easy to download and install, and most are available in over 12 languages.

Step 3: Download ROMs and save them to your computer.

Step 4: You will need to map your emulator to your ROMs, or in some cases, simply open each ROM whenever you want to play it. Because I don't know which emulator you are using, I can't give specific directions. Consult the documentation page of the official website for your emulator.

Step 5: Configure your controller. You will need either a console controller and adapter to plug it into a computer, or you will need a computer joystick. Plug it in and start the emulator. Locate the Joystick/Controller options and map the buttons. So, for example, click the 'A' button on the emulator list, and then press the button on the controller than you want to work as the 'A' button. Repeat for all the different buttons.

Step 6: Open a ROM wait for it to start. You may need to change the resolution settings on the emulator, or you may not. This depends on what kind you are using.

*Note: make sure you download legal ROMs. Some websites claim that you can legally download a ROM if you delete it within 24 hours - this is false. Only download legally.