The PSP is an awesome system, but let’s face it, one of the reasons many flocked to it was to play old video game classics. Emulation software created by talented homebrew developers made this possible. Nearly anything from the original Nintendo, the Super Nintendo, the Sega Genesis and even the MSX is playable on PSP, making it one of, if not the most active homebrew community in portable gaming. Below, you will find a list of some of the best emulators around. So if you finally got to modding your PSP and are looking for some retro action, look no further.
Snes9xTYLmecm 11-27-09:
As you can probably guess from the emu’s name, it’s designed to play Super Nintendo games, and it’s based on Snes9x; an SNES emulator for PC. The first thing you see after booting it up is a nice little clip featuring Super Mario. After that, you’re in the emu’s navigation screen. Alot of users complain about it being complicated, but I found it to be pretty simple. Although this emulator has great compatibility and most games that you try will work almost flawlessly, a few notable ones such as Donkey Kong Country, and any in the Mortal Kombat series will either run slowly, or have blatant audio glitches.Yoshi’s Island runs too slowly to be enjoyable.
NesterJ 1.13 Beta by Rukka:
NesterJ was especially crafted to play NES games and it does an awesome job of that. If you want to play the original Mario, Ninja Gaiden and other classic titles, then NesterJ is the best choice for PSP users.
Masterboy v2.10 & Homer’s Rin:
Masterboy & Homer’s Rin are the two go-to emulators if your intent is to play Gameboy and Gameboy Color games. My personal favorite is Masterboy. Visually, it’s probably the best looking emulator for PSP. I don’t know if there is any significant compatibility difference between either. The only game I tried on both emulators that didn’t run very well was Shantae. I assume most games in GB and GBC’s respective libraries will run without issue in both Masterboy and Homer’s Rin. As an added bonus, Masterboy can also run Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System roms. Having lost my original translucent purple Gameboy Color years ago, Masterboy was a great way to replay two of my childhood favorites; Pokemon: Yellow and Pokemon: Gold. It was through the PSP that I was also introduced to a little known Gameboy Color classic, Metal Gear Solid, which runs fantastically on the PSP through Masterboy. I highly recommend you either download the game, or purchase it when/if it becomes available on the 3DS’ eShop.
PSPMSX-v1.5.1-fw5x:
PSPMSX was created to play old MSX games on PSP. Apparently, the MSX was an old computer system from the 80s. I don’t know too much about it, other than the fact that it was the platform on which Hideo Kojima released Metal Gear, and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, which chronologically, preceed Metal Gear Solid on the Playstation 1. These two games were my primary reason for downloading PSPMSX, and they both run perfectly once the control options have been adjusted.
Picodrive v1.51b:
For all you Sega Genesis fans out there, Picodrive is thee emulator to play all your old Genesis favorites on PSP. I’m not much of a Sega Genesis fan myself, but I gave Picodrive a shot, along with Sonic The Hedgehog and a few Streets of Rage games. I’m happy to report that the emulator runs them without slowdown or glitches of any kind. Don’t hesitate to download Picodrive if you’ve got even the slightest interest in the Sega Genesis’ library.
UO GPSP Kai 3.4 Test 3 Build 92:
GPSP is a highly compatible Gameboy Advance emulator. Most of the GBA’s top titles will run perfectly here. So you can expect to have a great time playing the Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, A Link to the Past, Mother 3, Kirby: Nightmare in Dreamland, Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure, Yoshi’s Island and other standout games in the GBA’s incredible library. However, some fan-favorites like Golden Sun will not run very well. None of the NES classics will run at all on GPSP, but you can just play those on NesterJ, since the NES Classics weren’t updated for the GBA anyway.
DaedalusX64:
DaedalusX64 is an ambitious project by a team intent on bringing the Nintendo 64 to the PSP. Although it’s been in development for several years, only a few games will run at playable speeds. The in-game audio is also glitched, so it’s best to disable it while playing. I’m not bashing the Emu in anyway. I like DaedalusX64 and I applaud the team and their efforts for everything they’ve been able to accomplish. Some of the games I’ve tested that work include Super Mario 64, which actually runs at what can be considered full speed even with sound enabled. Super Smash Bro’s is also a blast to play, even if the audio has to be turned off. It suffers from minor slowdown, but it’s hardly noticeable enough to detract from the gameplay. My personal favorite is Star Fox 64, which would run perfectly were it not for the glitched audio. When disabled, the game runs at full speed. You may be thinking that listening to the audio is half the fun of playing a game like Star Fox. Well, I agree, but it’s something I can live without knowing that the devs were working with certain limitations. To remedy this, you can download Mp3PlayerPlugin.prx and install it in your Seplugins folder. This plugin will allow you to listen to your mp3 tracks while playing DaedalusX64, other homebrew apps and PSP games.