Super Mario was the best video game that floated my "little" mind when i was young and up till now, it's still one of my many favourite retro games. The Super Mario, Pacman, Tetris etc. are hard to come by now and thus sometimes we'd feel like revisiting our childhood days in other to play those games once more. Back in the older days, consoles actually didn’t focus much on game graphics because all they ever thought of was the gameplay and the stories that revolves around in the games. But the case however can now be told in a different way as gaming in this modern era has evolved so much to bring a stunning life-like visuals.

Also Read: Top 10 Best Emulators For Android (Free And Paid).

Now if perhaps you want to play an old-school console games on your personal computer, then all you'll need are free emulators that is capable of emulating your preferred consoles without the need to buy an individual consoles. Thus in this article, we're going to list out the top 10 emulators that can help you play your favorite console games all over again on your PC without any hassle. They're probably the best from our list but before we begin, it should be noted that while emulation software is legal, downloading the ROM images from the internet is illegal. Below are the best emulators for PC that will let you enjoy some of the best console games in the gaming history.

1. PPSSPP

PlayStation portable also known as PSP is one of the best handheld gaming console ever developed. The Playstation Portable Simulator Suitable For Playing Portably (PPSSPP) is an emulator specially created for running PSP games directly on your personal computer. The PPSSPP emulator powerful and robust features are no doubt the best since it made it possible to play most of the PSP games with stunning visuals. If perhaps you want to revisit the older days when PSP was still "fresh" in our childhood mind, then there's need to download the PPSSPP emulator on your PC to bring back those memories. PPSSPP emulator is well easy to set up and you can even transfer .ISOs and PSP saves to continue where you left off. PPSSPP emulator is available on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS and Android.

2. OpenEmu

OpenEmu is a modular console video game emulator that provides a Mac-like experience. One of the standout features of OpenEmu is how it organizes all your games into one unique, unified games library which makes it possible for you to drop in backups of your games (ROMs) and they'll be gracefully added to their appropriate library along with original box art. OpenEmu supports various game controllers and it can automatically map controls for almost every devices. If by any chance you have an old video games lying around in your room, OpenEmu can allow you play those games on your PC without any hassle. This emulator is available on Mac OS X and can help you name the console games and get the box art online automatically.

3. ePSXe

ePSXe is one of the best Sony Playstation console emulator that allows you to run all your favourite PS1 games directly on your PC without any flaws. Back then when i didn't have the "juice", i have always longed to see the PlayStation 1 games in action but fortunately the opportunity came only once. I won't even go into details narrating to you what later inspired. The PS1 consoles are no doubt a little mid-range than the PS2 consoles when it comes to graphics, but it's the most perfect way to remember the older days when gaming was still versatile among us. Once you've the ePSXe emulator configured on your PC, then you're one step ahead to enjoy almost all compatible PS1 consoles. ePSXe emulator is available on Windows and Linux.

4. DOSBox

DoSBox is one of the best PC console emulator that recreates an MS-DOS compatible environment. The emulator looks stunning and is completed with Sound, Input, Graphics, Controls and even Basic Networking. When you're running a classic DOS game that's completely unmodified, the MS-DOS environment is complete enough to perform the task. Utilizing all of DOSBox emulator features is painlessly simple provided you master the basic required concepts revolving around the MS-DOS environment. DOSBox is the perfect emulator that emulates the consoles accurately and at native speed followed by it's stupendous visuals. DOSBox is available on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

5. PCSX2

The iconic PlayStation 2 needs no further introductions since it's one of the best and highest selling console till date. Even as i am writing this article now, i can vividly see my PS2 video game lying instantaneous in my room. It just reminds me of the older days and since the Sony Playstation consoles are upgrading, it's high time to join the league and get a PS4. Buying a PS2 console can actually not be the best alternative in this modern era since you can painlessly download the PCSX2 emulator and run most of your favourite PS2 games in HD quality. One of the disadvantages of PCSX2 emulator is that it requires a fairly powerful computer due to the structure of the PS2 internals. PCSX2 emulator is available on Windows and Linux.

6. RetroArch

The last but not the least! RetroArch is an all-in-one emulator that is capable of playing all your favourite console games directly on your personal computer. The RetroArch emulator sets up a slick, all-in-one interface on your PC and it is the most powerful, cross-platform console for playing retro games. The emulator combines tons of retro video game systems like the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Genesis and others. RetroArch has a menu that allows you to set up a gamepad, browse your library of games, and play anything from nearly any system with a few button presses. While this emulator is constantly updated, it's features (a ton of setting options for tinkering such as shaders, overlays, frame rate caps, and more) gives you the exact experience you want from your emulators. RetroArch is available on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Android, iOS, and even hacked Wii consoles.

Final Words

Tons of console emulators are out there on the internet to grab, however having explored every tooth and cranny of the web, we decided to benchmark the best console emulators strictly for your personal computer. The above listed console emulators have a unique way of bringing back your nostalgic memory in high resolution. If perhaps you know of more console emulators that should be on this list, let us know in the comment box below.