Serious problems only seem to arise when emulation switches from older, defunct systems to anything which is still even remotely commercially viable.

It’s a damn shame, because there are so many positive benefits. For one, the UltraHLE enables those with decent hardware to play their N64 titles in resolutions up to 1024x768, over three times that of a standard N64 title.

Game Boy emulation runs parallel with a thriving development community – many people are actually creating their own Game Boy programs, something which would otherwise be impossible. When can we expect someone to create an original game for an N64 emulator?

There are wider implications for software development; developers, faced with the daunting prospect of producing a software renderer for their latest 3D extravaganza, could simply package the PlayStation version and an emulator in a PC box, avoiding months of additional development.

Ultimately, emulators are the perfect way to preserve those classic oldies which will never see the light of day again, but the entire system needs to be properly archived and policed. Current systems are a different matter entirely; Miyamoto obviously spent a lot of time creating Zelda. To make sure he does it again, gamers should play the game as it was intended.

Useful websites:

Dave's Classics
Emuunlim.Com
Retro Games
Bleem.com
Conectix.com
Virtual Game Station