by Michael Dishon

Created on: June 10, 2009   Last Updated: June 12, 2009

Emulators on the PC have become a fairly common thing. Since you don't need a top-of-the-line computer to run most emulators, they are a great way to play your old favorites. Whether you want to try to improve from the original graphics, play games that you've already broken, or simply wish to back them up, Emulators can do it all.

First, let's talk about the emulators themselves. The Nintendo has a few emulators for it, but if you ask anyone with experience, you're most likely to be referred to the Project 64 emulator, so we'll use that. Also, it is freeware, so don't worry about paying for it.

The first step, is to find the emulator. I use Google for all my searches, with phrases like "Project 64 Emulator" or "Nintendo 64 Emulator." More often than not the first find will supply you with what you need. Also, when offered several versions, try and get the latest, as it usually runs the best.

Once you find the emulator and get it on your PC, I recommend scanning the file with an anti-virus program, just in case. Then, double click and follow the installation. Once installed, let's run it and look at some of the options.

First, choose your language. After that, the emulator itself should come up. I go straight to options, to make sure everything is set up, so let's do that. Click options, then "Configure Graphics Plug-in." Here, we get to set up how the games will look. Simple Resolution and Full-screen resolution options. I use 1024x768 for my base resolution. For older computers, if you want to use full-screen, I recommend starting small, then working your way up. For newer, or faster computers, I just start with Full-screen Resolution 1024x768 32-bit 100hz. The Sync option, I leave at Transfer Memory.

The other options leave alone for now, and un-check the "Hide Advanced options" and hit apply. You should see more tabs at the top. From there, click on advanced. Here we can make little tweaks to fix any compatibility issues that may come up with your emulator and hardware. I always adjust game aspect ratio to match mine, for smoother gameplay. The others should be left alone for the first run, since you'll want to at least test the emulator before making tweaks. Ignore the Rom Settings.

Next is the Audio Plug-in. Very simple. You have the emulator volume, and if you want to log the audio of your game. Notice the "Sync game to audio" option that is currently grayed out. When we start our first ROM, or video game, we might need to check this feature if

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