Some consoles have gone a little further unnoticed, but this is not the case with the Nintendo DS, also known as NDS. I’m sure you’ll remember many of their games, and fortunately, you can play them again on Android with any of these Nintendo DS emulators. And obviously, you’ll also need the corresponding ROMs.
Here, I have added some of the best Nintendo emulators for Android that you can find for free and enjoy those classic games. Have you ever heard about the Nintendo Emulator? Well, the Nintendo emulator is a system that helps you to play games of yesteryear on your Android device. It is a kind of iconic game console.
The main task of this console is to make you eligible to play those classic games. However, if you are nostalgic, you want to have the experience of playing those exotic games, you can install a Nintendo emulator from Google Play.
How to make games work better on a Nintendo DS emulator
Nintendo DS emulators perform well in all cases. However, if you want to get the best results, and the best gaming experience, it is advisable to use uncompressed files. That is, even if the emulator can load ROMs in .zip, .rar or .7z among others, as in most, we will always get better performance if we run ROMs in uncompressed .nds format.
Best Nintendo Emulators for Android
1. DraStic DS Emulator
The only thing missing from this emulator, which has no doubt stopped it from being the best there is right now, is multiplayer. But not only can we use Nintendo DS games on Android, but it also improves its resolution without any performance on devices with four-core CPUs. The ROM support of this console is complete and we have perfectly adapted touch controls on the screen.
2. NDS Emulator
This second option is somewhat simpler to interface and is focused on the game with the mobile in portrait orientation. But ROM support is also complete and with exceptional performance. As with DraStic, we can use an external wired or Bluetooth-connected controller to make it more comfortable and take better advantage of the display. It supports different game formats, including compressed files in .zip, and we can customize the on-screen touch controls for a better gaming experience.
3. SuperNDS (NDS Emulator)
SuperNDS is compatible with any Nintendo DS ROM and allows us to configure the game vertically or horizontally, as we are most interested in. It has a quick access button to the touch control for games that require it, and the buttons overlap on the screen – as in the previous two. Any ROM runs with good performance and also supports almost any format: from the usual .nds to files compressed in .rar, .zip and .7z. An excellent option that is worth being on our mobile devices.
4. EmuBox
It’s not the best NDS emulator, but it had to go into this ranking for a reason: it’s a multi-emulator. This means that you can load with excellent performance Nintendo DS ROMs, but also games from other platforms like PSX, SNES, GBA, GBC and NES. Therefore, we can save other applications in the memory of our smartphone and, from it, run games from different platforms adapting the interface in aspects such as the touch controls that are displayed on the screen.
5. The N.DS Pocket of Simulator
Whether from Nintendo DS or from another platform, emulators don’t usually give us access to ROMs download. That’s one of the peculiarities of this emulator, which not only has exceptional performance but also allows us to load locally stored games and get them easily from the application itself.
6. The King Simulator for DS
Game compatibility is really broad, and the performance is excellent. In addition, this emulator can boast a remarkable sound experience compared to other options available on the Google Play Store. As a key feature, this emulator allows us to access locally stored games, but it also gives us the option to get them from our own browser so that we have it easier to start playing on mobile.
7. John NESS
John NESS is the latest version of the emulator apps for Android devices. It offers manual game integration and an easy-to-use interface. Users need to integrate ROMs and game files.
Works seamlessly with the newest hardware and is compatible with Android 6.0+ or later. It has a Nintendo and Super Nintendo engine.
Download | Android.
8. NES emu
Do you want to try a classic Nintendo emulator? You can try NES emu. It is one of the most widely used advanced emulators that is based on FCEUX 2.2.3-svn. While developing this emulator, the developers test it on almost all the latest phones, and it shows satisfactory results every time.
You can play any of your favourite ROM-based video games using this handy emulator.
Download | Android.
9. NDS4Droid
Although NDS4Droid is not the best-performance NDS emulator, most games load correctly. The interface is good and, as in everyone, we can save and load games to track our progress in any title. Unlike others, if anything is something we’re interested in, NDS4Droid is an open-source project. And it’s constantly developing to make the gaming experience optimal, as well as support the entire Nintendo DS catalog.
10. MegaNDS (NDS Emulator)
Although simple, MegaNDS has excellent performance with ROMs in any format, including compressed files. It offers all kinds of options to improve fluidity and, for those who want to fast forward, has a built-in cheat menu to load our tricks directly into any video game. In addition, it has automatic screen rotation so that we can adapt the gaming experience at any time.
11. The FrieNDS Emu
A very complete emulator with functionalities such as setting the buttons or the possibility to play music while playing. In addition, it has some games included, although many more can be added. It is very well optimized to play in Pokémon and Super Mario titles, which are ultimately the most popular.
12. CastNES
Another excellent emulator is CastNes. This Nintendo emulator for Android can give you perfect control. The interface of the emulator is very simple. This emulator will run on any Android smartphone or tablet.
It is compatible with almost all Nintendo games. Please note that this emulator does not contain any games. You can search and download any Nintendo file, and it will be added to the emulator automatically.
Download | Android.
13. RetroArch
RetroArch is a Nintendo game emulator exclusively designed for Android. It is made with an easy-to-use user interface and a powerful development interface. There is a powerful built-in collection that will help you enjoy a one-stop shop for more entertainment.
Also, this open-source, cross-platform emulator has control over the different features of other apps.
Download | Android.
14. NES nostalgia
One of the most popular and high-quality Nintendo emulators for Android is Nostalgia NES. When you want to play the classic game of yesteryear on a newer and latest Android device, no other app will help you like this.
This application is made with a modern and easy-to-use interface that will always be ready to make you eligible to play your favourite games.
Download | Android.
15. NES Retro Emulator
Another exciting Android emulator is NES Retro Emulator. It is very popular as it helps you to play exotic games on your latest Android device. The quality of the emulation is very satisfactory and guarantees the highest quality graphics.
It even allows you to connect to WiFi networks as well. Also, when you play with it, you will enjoy full control over the screen and all the layouts.
Download | Android.
Conclusion
These 15 best Nintendo emulators for Android are no less effective than others. This can confuse you on which one to choose. If so, waiting for my recommendation, I would like to suggest you try John NES or SuperRetro16. After going through a study on different Nintendo emulators, these two seem like the best to me.
However, it does not mean that the others are not worthy of having them. You can select any of these emulators and I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Now tell me if everything is clear to you. Also, let me know if you have anything to ask about this matter. If you choose any emulator from this list, please share your feedback with us. Thanks for your support.
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