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The 27 best football games of all time

By admin April 7, 2024

The 27 best football games of all time, It’s a sad fact that most of us won’t ever be any good at football. But whether on console or PC, the best games can take you into a fantasy world in which you’re a world beater.

Amazingly, that applies whether you’re controlling a stick figure on an 8-bit computer or a fully realised 3D model with ultra-realistic stubble on a PS5. Seriously – we’ve shed real tears at a line of text on a screen describing how the opposition stick figure has just put us out of the cup.

But then that’s football: it has the power to reduce otherwise sensible people to mere shells of their former selves. And game makers soon realised they were on to something good when they created the first footie sims, because in no time they were flying off the shelf.

The 27 best football games of all time

As a result, there have been hundreds of football games over the years – so many, in fact, that narrowing down our selection to a mere 28 titles was near impossible. Arguments raged across the office – FIFA or Pro Evo? Sensi or Kick Off? – and that’s exactly as it should be. After nearly 30 years, EA and FIFA have now officially cut ties so will EA Sports FC be gracing this list in the future?

Whether you agree or disagree with our list, we hope it’ll spark plenty of memories. Let the arguments begin.

27) Footballer of the Year (1986, ZX Spectrum)

People weren’t sure what to make of this oddball at the time of release. Part management game, part board game, you aimed to take a kid from the old fourth division to the glory of cup finals and Division One.

Success was mostly down to scoring goals in arcade sequences; chances were bought with ‘goal cards’ purchased in-game, and ‘incident cards’ enabled you to delve further into your young player’s life. If this all sounds a bit familiar, FOTY was a big influence on New Star Soccer creator Simon Read…

26) Tracksuit Manager (1988, C64)

We’re not sure how you manage a tracksuit; stupid name aside, this Goliath Games effort was an impressive management game with depth. You arrived just as your team (England by default) had a disastrous World Cup (so, pretty accurate), and had to figure out a road to success.

Highlights were akin to the running commentary you’d today see on a news website, and while that lacked visual impact, it provided plenty of insight into who was providing the goods for your team, and who to send for an early bath.

25) International Soccer (1983, C64)

This C64 classic was the first truly great soccer game. Inspired by the earlier Intellivision Soccer, it utilised a side-on viewpoint, and had two seven-a-side teams battling it out for a chunky, pixelated cup.

Despite creator Andrew Spencer not being a fan of football, he captured the feel of the sport, and squeezed throw-ins, corners and goal-kicks into the cartridge’s tiny memory. It’s also the one football game where you can sometimes head a ball half the length of the field – a bug Spencer noticed but left in because he thought it was funny.

24) Match Day 2 (1987, ZX Spectrum)

Knowing a good thing when they saw it, Jon Ritman and Ocean teamed up for a sequel to Ritman’s original Spectrum smash hit. This time, the players looked a lot like bodybuilders, and the underlying mechanics had been suitably beefed up: along with a far superior deflection system, there was a league format, volleys, flicks and jumping.

Shot strength was determined by a slightly awkward oscillating ‘kickometer’ and the pace was again slow, but this merely made for more strategic play.

23) Behold the Kickmen (2017, Nintendo Switch/PC)

Look, we adore the beautiful game, but sometimes it feels like the sport takes itself a little bit too seriously. Watching a gaggle of shouty adults boot a ball around a field for 90 minutes is hugely entertaining, but it’s also not that important in the grand scheme of things. Behold the Kickmen is here to remind you of that.

This is football as seen through the eyes of someone with absolutely zero interest in the laws and rules of the sport (or physics, for that matter). Kicking, tackling, passing, shooting, and scoring – it’s all here but dialled up to 11 in the most nonsensical way imaginable. In striving to make a complete mockery of football, developer Size Five Games has created one of the most comical and outrageous takes on the sport we’ve ever encountered.

22) Actua Soccer (1995, PS1)

Its name and tagline may have been a shot across Sega’s bows (“There’s nothing virtual about Actua“), but Gremlin Interactive’s title was noteworthy for more than just a bit of snide trollery: it was the very first console football game to offer fully 3D players. These were motion-capped from Sheffield Wednesday stalwarts Chris Woods, Andy Sinton and Graham Hyde, providing a level of clogger realism never before witnessed on consoles. The original featured only national teams, but a Club Edition featuring all 20 teams from the 96/97 Premier League season was released a year later.

21) Ultimate Soccer Manager (1995, Amiga)

For all of Championship Manager‘s statistical goodness, nothing immersed you in a mid-’90s football world like the USM series. Transfers and team selection almost became minor distractions, as you reclined in your office next to a fax machine and Teletext.

There were advertising deals to negotiate, a stadium complex to build, and even bungs to offer the opposition. Yes, this was the George Graham era, when managers were unimpeachable emperors, and USM put you right on the throne with a hotline to football’s dark side.

20) Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 (2016, PS4/Xbox One)

Having spent years in FIFA’s shadow, Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 finally offered a genuine alternative to EA’s annual juggernaut. PES 2017 was a slower, more considered version of the beautiful game, with less emphasis on beating players for pace and more on patient build-up play, but when everything fell into place and you unlocked a defence the sense of satisfaction was glorious. Its lack of official licenses and a fundamentally flawed online mode still made it very hard to convince most FIFA fans to jump ship, and things seem to have gone backwards since then, but for one short year PES‘s glory days were back.

19) Kick Off (1989, Amiga)

Dino Dini’s 16-bit classic added an ingredient that hadn’t really been seen before in football games: speed. The little players darted about the pitch like they were dosed-up on something decidedly not allowed under FIFA’s code, and the ball was initially impossible to control, given that it didn’t remain glued to your feet.

But once mastered, Kick Off made every other football game suddenly seem dull and dated by comparison, even if it was at times the football game equivalent of juggling bars of soap while riding a unicycle down a hill.

18) World Cup 98 (1997, PS1)

EA’s FIFA series has ruled the football gaming world like some kind of digital Sepp Blatter (before all the dodgy payments stuff), but it wasn’t always thus. Back in 1998 it was merely one of several games vying for the hearts and minds of floppy fringed teens, and it was far from being the best.

The previous edition, 1997’s Road To World Cup 98, had marked a big improvement though – while FIFA had always had the official licences, it finally had the gameplay to go with them too. World Cup 98 built on that in some style, keeping the free-flowing football of the previous title and adding in-game tactical changes.

It was all wrapped up in a slick World Cup skin that no other game at the time came close to, complete with commentary and unlockable classic games. Shame we had to put up with Chumbawamba’s execrable Tubthumping every time it loaded though.

17) Football Manager (1982, ZX Spectrum)

Kevin Toms graced the front of Addictive’s Football Manager cover, enticing you to buy the game with his charm and beard. And what a game it was: on your little Spectrum, you could buy and sell players, pick a team, and watch highlights on pitches with comically large goals.

Today, it all looks a bit primitive (the C64 conversion was at least a bit prettier), and yet its simple gameplay remains surprisingly compelling in an era of over-complicated (micro) management sims. If you fancy a go on your smartphone, check out Toms’s remakes for Android and iOS.

16) Tehkan World Cup (1985, arcade)

Tehkan World Cup wasn’t the first overhead football game (that accolade probably goes to Exciting Soccer), but it was the first to make that viewpoint work. This was a fast game, in part down to the trackball controls, and decent goalies also ensured that matches were often frantic end-to-end battles.

The game very heavily influenced Sensible Software, and more or less came to the C64 in the form of Microprose Soccer, but its legacy was really being the grandfather to the outstanding Sensible Soccer series.

15) New Star Soccer (2012, iOS/Android)

In answering the question “How do you create an in-depth career-long football game for mobile devices?”, New Star Soccer said “You don’t!”, and instead served up a selection of mini-games draped over a basic framework that wasn’t a million miles from 1986’s Footballer Of The Year.

Although a touch IAP-hungry, it became a mobile classic, having you balance a kind of hyper-real version of a young footballer’s life (Buy a car! And now a TANK!) with pitch-based exploits and the demands of a boss, advertisers and a nagging partner.

Its successor, New Star Manager, is more in-depth, but lacks the addictive simplicity of the original.

14) FIFA 10 (2009, PS3/Xbox 360)

Like a footballing version of Rocky Balboa vs Apollo Creed, the FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer games slugged it out relentlessly throughout the ’00s without either landing a final knockout punch. Pro Evo was generally the better game, but FIFA retained a strong following by virtue of its proper team and player names and presentation nous. But with FIFA 10 that winning uppercut finally connected.

Both games introduced 360-degree player control for the first time in their 2010 editions, but FIFA 10 did it better, allowing you to expertly slide a pass through at just the right angle for your striker to run on to it. Or, more commonly, for you to expertly slide a pass straight to an opposition defender. Coupled with a wealth of game modes – from Be A Pro to Ultimate Team and Manager Mode – FIFA 10 was a more complete footballing experience than any previous title in the series and finally edged ahead of its rival too. And it hasn’t been toppled since.

13) Emlyn Hughes International Soccer (1988, C64)

A spiritual successor to Andrew Spencer’s International Soccer, Emlyn Hughes International Soccer was the last great side-on football game of the 1980s. Brimming with options, advanced players could utilise techniques such as ‘5-direction’ passing, sliding tackles and backheels, all from a joystick with only a single fire button.

The result was the first truly fluid football game, where you could string together some genuinely breathtaking moves. The goalies were still rubbish, though, natch.

12) Retro Goal (2021, Android/iOS)

Retro Goal is by the New Star Soccer folks, and has some similarities, in being a fusion of management and action. However, rather than veering towards management, much more of this game is played out on the pitch. Instead of full games, you play out highlights, using gestural controls (with the aid of Matrix-style slo-mo) to bury the ball in the back of the net.

We’ve seen grumbles that the game is pay-to-win, but we’ve won everything you can win in the game, without doing a Manchester City. You just need some patience, and to power up couple of strikers so they’ve got enough welly. If you’re not sure, you get ten games for free, whereaand even unlocking the entire game costs a pittance.

Retro Goal is a beautiful throwback to the SEGA days of football games and features such star names as Garrido, Hough and Frezza (not actual players, of course). The convenience of being handheld makes it all the better, too. The first 10 matches of Retro Goal can be played for free. Unlocking the rest costs a quid. Barg.

11) FIFA Street (2005, PS2)

There’s something beautifully nostalgic about FIFA Street. For those who played the 4-a-side street football game in 2005, the game conjures up memories of committing devastating flicks and tricks in favelas and English football pitches. It also came with a soundtrack that has seldom been beaten since, bringing the local sounds of soca, grime, jungle and more to global players.

FIFA Street’s newest form, VOLTA, hasn’t managed to live up to the heights of FIFA Street (that is a tough task to achieve, though). But even playing today, FIFA Street still impresses. Few things beat the feeling of nutmegging Ronaldinho before firing a screamer into the top bins, after all.

10) Virtua Striker (1994, Arcade)

Sega’s legendary AM2 team (also responsible for Daytona USA and Virtua Fighter) developed this groundbreaking title – the first football video game in history to use 3D player models. Being available only in arcades, Virtua Striker was designed for fast and furious action over serious simulation, but for those of us who crammed countless coins into the cabinet, it was the most realistic digital appropriation of the beautiful game we’d ever seen.

9) International Superstar Soccer (1994, SNES)

In hindsight, this SNES classic is a bridge between classic-era side-on fare and modern football titles. A predecessor to PES, the original ISS offered a stunning array of moves – everything from feints to shoulder charges – when various buttons were combined.

Visually, it was also leagues beyond the likes of Match Day and International Soccer. Yet for all its gloss and cleverness, what made ISS appeal most was its fun and frantic nature, retaining a very arcade sensibility, in that brief period before sports titles became totally obsessed with a kind of TV-style realism.

8) Football Manager 2011 (2010, PC)

In its divorce with Eidos, Sports Interactive lost the Championship Manager name but carried on creating the only management games still worth playing – and this edition is one of the greatest, adding a full 3D engine that, if you were so inclined, allowed you to watch every single pass, shot, tackle and horrendous goalkeeping error in a match.

Among the other innovations were press conferences – a small detail that served to add colour to an already frighteningly real football universe that featured no fewer than 117 playable leagues.

7) Kick Off 2 (1990, Amiga)

Kick Off 2 looked an awful lot like its predecessor, and it was really a combination of Kick Off and a couple of expansion disks, all carefully refined. But that attention to detail transformed an enjoyable but occasionally uncontrollable knockabout title into a product that demanded a lot more skill.

Along with tournaments, refs with varying moods and – crucially – fewer bugs, this Amiga sequel dropped the pace and boosted the controls, copious use of ‘aftertouch’ enabling you to fashion the kind of dazzlingly audacious shots of which even Matt Le Tissier would have been proud.

6) Sensible Soccer (1992, Amiga)

Sensible Software were fans of Kick Off 2 and football, but were irritated by the former’s shortcomings that didn’t – as they saw it – do justice to the latter. Sensible Soccer was their attempt to bring to gaming the feeling of how you imagined playing professional football would be, coupled with the kind of attention to detail only a true football geek possesses (including correct hair and skin colour for each of the players).

The game zoomed the viewpoint out, showing more of the pitch and enabling it to dispense with a Kick Off-style radar; passing and shooting was simplified and streamlined and everything was done on the frame, making the game extremely responsive. Until sequel SWOS arrived, this was the pinnacle of the genre.

5) ISS Pro Evolution (1999, PS1)

Ah, the Master League: just how many hours have we spent cocooned in your comforting embrace, steadily building up a team of honest pros and turning them into world beaters? Probably several thousand – and that’s no exaggeration. And it was here that it first appeared.

Although at this stage a relatively basic affair, the Pro Evo Master League still bolted a decent career sim on to an already superb football game. You could buy and sell players, but you used points earnt by winning games, rather than money, and there was none of the complicated day-to-day running of the club that you’d have to endure in Championship Manager. Instead, it gave you the chance to shape the team of your dreams, packing it with attacking midfielders if you chose, or instead making sure you had a Mourinho-solid defence.

While the Master League was a great addition to the series, it would have meant nothing if the gameplay hadn’t matched up to it. But in truth ISS Pro Evolution was already creeping ahead of FIFA by this time; it was more realistic yet also more playable – and that’s a winning combination in any game.

4) Championship Manager: Season 97/98 (1997, PC)

Sports Interactive’s series looms like a Colossus over all management games.

Despite being derided by small-minded dullards as a glorified Excel spreadsheet, Championship Manager‘s masterful tactical engine, reams of accurate data (this was the first instalment allowing you to run more than one league simultaneously) and giant player database wove together a rich, convincing football universe that sat parallel to our own – and it fired the imagination like no other game around.

And it was so, so addictive: the game’s official forums were full of tales of lives all but lost to Champ’s particular brand of “just one more game”-itis, or grown men so proud of taking a lower league team to the FA Cup final that they would don a suit for the occasion.

3) FIFA 21 (2020, PS4/Xbox One)

Recent FIFA games have been all about tweaking a winning formula rather than any major overhauls, but considering the series has been building from a leading position since FIFA 10, that’s no bad thing.

While FIFA 21 only makes very minor changes to its predecessor and certainly isn’t without its faults – defending is very much a secondary concern to scoring goals, there’s far too much showboating online, and goalkeepers punch so often they must all be wearing buttered gloves – it remains the best virtual approximation of the beautiful game.

2) Pro Evolution Soccer 5 (2005, PS2)

There are times in popular culture when a thing – band, TV series, game, whatever – reaches such a peak, you think it can’t possibly stay there. But then it does – for year after year after year. The Simpsons did that from about season 3 to season 9, for instance, but it’s pretty rare. Well, Pro Evolution Soccer managed the same feat.

That its standards did eventually drop was inevitable, but it doesn’t make the glory years from 2002-2005 any less special. We could have picked any of the four games from Pro Evo 2 to Pro Evo 5 and made a case for its inclusion. Frankly, we could have had all of them in this list. But that would be silly, so instead we’ve picked the probable highest point in a series of very high ones.

What made it so special? Just… everything. The Master League had by now developed into a proper four-division set-up, with promotion, relegation and a Champions League equivalent and there were even, finally, proper player names. On the gameplay side, it was as fluid and playable as football games get. Not quite as frantically insane as Sensible Soccer, not quite as gloriously detailed as FIFA 18, but instead a wonderful mid-way between the two extremes.

You could score screamers from 40 yards or tap-ins after a goalmouth scramble. You could waltz through five tackles, if you had a skillful enough player, but you couldn’t get away with just running the ball into the net. In short, it was beautifully balanced.

It couldn’t last, of course – but boy was it fun while it did.

1) Sensible World Of Soccer (1994, Amiga)

Almost 30 years young, SWOS is still top of the league. It took everything that was great about Sensible Soccer and just ran with it. You got the same fantastic arcade-oriented gameplay, but the title comprehensively acknowledged the rest of the world’s existence, with the kind of slavish devotion of a true footballing aficionado.

Management features and player trading were boosted by the inclusion of a whopping 1500 teams and 27,000 players. It should have been the start of something great, but SWOS was somehow allowed to be eclipsed by FIFA and PES. Still, dedicated fans keep the flame alive with leagues, events, and patched versions of the game that incorporate modern data – the wonderful, crazy nutters.

Can it compete with FIFA for realistic gameplay or Football Manager for exhaustive statdom? No, obviously not. And for many people, the classic mid-’00s era Pro Evo beats it as an all-round football game; it’s definitely split this office at any rate.

But for sheer “JUST LOOK AT THAT GOAL! THAT WAS LIQUID FOOTBALL!” joy, it will never be bettered. Go on, then, just one more game.

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Games

The Best Sports Games for 2024

By admin February 24, 2024

The Best Sports Games for 2024, Competitive games—the real-world type, not the esports type—have been a part of our culture since the dawn of humanity. They’ve served as entertainment, much-need distraction from the daily grind, and a spark for social change. As technology’s advanced, sports have expanded from playgrounds and stadiums to television and video games.

The PC may not be your first choice when you’re in the mood to play a sports game. After all, the platform lacks the popular MLB The Show titles and NHL games of any sort (it does have the FIFA, Madden NFL, and NBA 2K games, though). Still, there are many, highly entertaining sports-based PC games, particularly if you don’t care about realism or league licenses.

Ready to play some sports games? Let’s go!

Baseball Stars 2

Decades after its Neo Geo arcade debut, SNK’s classic baseball title remains one of the best arcade-style sports games ever made—even without a Major League Baseball license.

Baseball Stars 2 captures the sports’ essence via two leagues, 18 larger-than-life fictional teams, simple controls, oodles of charming animations, and incredible cut scenes that highlight tense moments, such as a play at the plate or a batter punching a pitcher in the face after being on the receiving end of a beanball.

The Best Sports Games for 2024

Fire Pro Wrestling World

Fire Pro Wrestling World began life as a promising Steam Early Access title. Upon its official release, Spike Chunsoft’s “sports” game morphed into one of the most addictive wrasslin’ games to grace any platform.

An excellent return to form after the disappointing, avatar-based, Xbox 360-exclusive Fire Pro Wrestling, World has all of the elements that comprise a great Fire Pro game: robust creation tools, a ridiculously deep move set, MMA rules, cage fighting, gimmick matches, and tight controls and match pacing. Online play, Steam Workshop integration for uploading and downloading content, and optional New Japan Pro Wrestling DLC makes Fire Pro Wrestling World the best in its series.

Please note that this review score reflects Fire Pro Wrestling World as it appeared in Steam Early Access. An updated review is coming soon.

The greatest grappling game returns to take on the world!
Customize every aspect of the match, from your wrestler to the ring itself, in your fight for the championship belt.

PLAY ONLINE
Organize exhibition matches, tournaments, leagues, championship bouts and battle royals with players from around the world.

MIX UP THE RULES
Modes include Deathmatch (steel cage, barbed wire or landmines), no-holds barred Gruesome Fighting, and SWA homebrew rules that mix pro wrestling and MMA.

UNLIMITED CUSTOMIZATION
Create your dream wrestler from over a thousand devastating moves and even more body parts to battle for custom championship belts. Personalize the ring, mat logos and even the referee!

REALISTIC SIMULATION
Give your creations personalities with a robust CPU logic system that defines their every action. Does your wrestler play to the crowd, or play dirty? You provide actors for the ringside drama.

Football Manager 2024

SEGA’s Football Manager series is an enigma to many outside observers, but its seemingly niche appeal has grown into a borderline obsession for a large, passionate fan base. This soccer simulation is an insanely detailed, text-heavy simulation of the world’s most popular sport. Take on the role of club manager overseeing player transfers, on-field tactics, staff instructions, and everything in between in a bid to lead your club to glory.

Football Manager 2024 builds upon the previous version by including graphics improvements, new backroom activities, an an updated match engine. If you want to participate in the beautiful game, but lack Ronaldo-like skills, Football Manager is the next best thing to playing for your favorite squad.

Step into the shoes of a real boss and write your own football story in Football Manager 2024, the most complete edition in the series yet.

Whether you’re a manager who likes to build from the bottom or prefers to chase immediate glory, the perfect challenge awaits. The arrival of the new Meiji Yasuda Insurance Ltd J. League licence unlocks J1 League, J2 League, J3 League for the first time ever, giving you the opportunity to explore new horizons in Japan.

Wherever you manage, it’s up to you to build a team capable of competing with the world’s elite.

Game Description

· Continue your relentless journey to the top of the footballing world by using the new ability to import your existing career from Football Manager 2023.

· Craft a winning tactical approach, incorporating modern football’s most popular systems and cutting-edge positional innovations to deliver victories on the pitch.

· Master the transfer market, using new ways to shape your side to cultivate a squad capable of achieving your goals.

· Level up your players on the training field, developing the mentality and teamwork needed to transform contenders into champions.

· See your tactical vision come to life on Matchdays, with every game elevated by improvements to ball and player movements.

Mutant Football League

Football is a bad sport. Yes, it’s beloved by millions, but the concussions that result from giants hurling themselves at each other are an undeniable problem. The sport is much more enjoyable in video game form, especially arcade-style football, which lets you perform superhuman feats without hideous injuries or annoying flags.

Digital Dream Entertainment’s Mutant Football League literally plays by that rule set by pitting skeletons, robots, orcs, aliens, and mutated humans against each other in not-so-friendly gridiron contests featuring landmines and cheat plays. Mutant Football League is definitely worth playing, and not because it’s the rare American football PC game that isn’t Madden NFL; it’s legitimately good, despite some annoying dirty trick plays.

Mutants and monsters unleash maniacal carnage on the gridiron in THIS action packed, arcade-style football game. Mutant Football League delivers intense online multiplayer action, deep strategy and deadly humor.

Fantastical arenas full of ruthless fans and deadly traps set the stage for mayhem in every contest that allows players to win by highest score or by killing and eradicating their opponents – a feat made easier as teams use their unique “Dirty Tricks” such as “Bribe the Ref” to overturn a call or having a player become “Ginormous” to grow in size and pummel the puny combatants in their path. Whenever a game begins you’ll quickly discover the only predictable element is broken bones.

Mutant Football League is the bloody-fun, next-gen, successor to arcade-style American football games, taking inspiration from over-the-top sports games such as NFL Blitz and the Sega Genesis classic, Mutant League Football. Digital Dreams’ MFL game delivers deep strategic 7-on-7 gameplay, with bone-crunching, tooth-shattering, head splitting hits, and a roster of comical ghouls delivering tongue-through-cheek humor. Oh, and blood. Lots of blood.

RetroMania Wrestling

Steel chairs. Finishing moves. Cage matches. Few things define pro wrestling as well as those three elements, and RetroSoft Studios’ RetroMania Wrestling has them—and more.

Sure, RetroMania Wrestling isn’t as deep as the excellent Fire Pro Wrestling World, but it caters to people who prefer their wrasslin’ games more arcade-like than sim-like. It’s a throwback title that recalls WrestleFest and other classic arcade wrestling games, thanks to simple controls that let anyone jump into the action and theatrics.

Rocket League

The Psyonix-developed Rocket League is a prime example of a video game that wants you do to one thing and one thing only: have pure, uncut fun. This oddball sports title blends RC racing’s charms with soccer’s heated, team-based competition, and adds plenty of over-the-top spectacle (big goals, wild saves) to keep every match interesting.

Rocket League is just as fun during your first hour as it is during your twentieth; there are very few multiplayer games that utilize addictive simplicity as effectively. It even supports cross-platform play with console players, so you can always find a match.

Super Mega Baseball 2

Long gone are the days when the likes of Midway’s NFL Blitz and Nintendo‘s Ken Griffey Jr. games ruled the market with their pick-up-and-play sensibility, flashy graphics, and outrageous gameplay. Hardcore simulations like FIFA or NBA 2K are great, but arcade sports fans have lamented the decline of the less realistic stuff. If you’re in that camp, pick up Super Mega Baseball 2.

The game offers accessible mechanics, a cartoony art style, and an overall sense of fun that’s rare in today’s sports games. However, it has enough depth to keep even the most die-hard baseball fans addicted. Super Mega Baseball 2 has a couple of graphics-related flaws, but it’s one of the best current-gen sports games available for PC.

Super Mega Baseball 3

Super Mega Baseball 3, with its focus on near-superhuman athletes and their copious stats, is, in essence, an interactive baseball card. Metalhead Software‘s latest title is a snapshot of what makes the sport an internationally beloved game, as it inserts you into a world where dingers go deep, showboats flex their super-sized biceps, and pitcher-batter matchups are tense games of cat and mouse.

This third entry brings with it new on-field improvements, player traits, front office happenings, and gameplay modes for both default and custom ball clubs that push the series deeper into simulation territory. The new Pennant Race mode delivers cross-platform play with console ballplayers, too.

Despite light frame rate issues and other minor complaints, Super Mega Baseball 3 is the best title in the series to date and an outstanding PC game.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2—a bundle that remasters two, iconic late-1990s and early-2000s skateboarding games—is a joyous return to form for a series that has fallen on hard times in recent years. Its thrilling, combo-based action and pulsating energy will satisfy older folks longing for the game type that publishers have ignored for years, as well as younger people who are looking for a ridiculously entertaining diversion that features a blood-pumping, head-nodding punk and hip-hop soundtrack.

19 tracks, new and returning professional skaters (Tony Hawk, Kareem Campbell, and Nyjah Huston, among others), and a wonderful graphical overhaul round out this excellent package.

Turbo Golf Racing

If you find standard golf games far too tame, check out the Hugecalf Studios-developed Turbo Golf Racing. The sports game takes traditional golf and melds with elements from other, popular arcade-style sports games.

In fact, It’s hard to ignore the similarities between Turbo Golf Racing and Rocket League. Both titles feature cartoony karts that push balls into a goal, and the vehicles are aided by boosts, missiles, and other power-ups. Hugecalf Studios does a good job of implementing the “golf with cars” gimmick, despite the game’s few annoying elements. Still, it’s a good time on the digital links.

Windjammers 2

Like the original title, Windjammers 2 is a sports game focused on the fictional Flying Power League, a competitive circuit featuring neon-drenched athletes tossing Frisbees—er, flying discs. Your goal is to be the first person to reach 15 points in best-2-out-of-3 sets (or accumulate the most points before the clock expires).

However, the game is so much more than that basic description.

In essence, Windjammers 2 is a sports game with a fighting game’s heart; it even has parries and special moves! DotEmu’s sequel to the cult classic Neo Geo game delivers the same thrilling action as its predecessor, but adds new offensive and defensive moves, as well as rollback netcode and cross-platform play between PC and Xbox.

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Gaming

The Best Beat Em Up Games for 2024

By admin February 24, 2024

The Best Beat Em Up Games for 2024, Sometimes the best way to make a difference is to wrap your knuckles, step out onto a mob-filled street, and punch the enemy squarely in the snot box. With beat ’em ups, the gameplay goal is simple: Destroy the enemy waves before they destroy you. Although that description applies to many video game genres—including action, strategy, and shmup—beat ’em ups have their own flavor.

Thanks to pioneering titles like The Warriors-inspired Renegade and the post-apocalyptic Double Dragon, beat ’em ups typically feature street-level heroes who must rescue a girlfriend, save a president, exact cold revenge, or engage in some other B-movie trope. The games usually feature simple side-scrolling movement, which is why beat ’em ups are known as “belt scrollers” in Japan and some Western gaming circles. “Brawlers” is another term for the genre.

Though beat ’em ups aren’t as buzzworthy as, say, battle royale games, they have a dedicated, hard-core following that loves the urban chaos. Fortunately, the PC is a platform with a growing library of high-quality belt scrollers. These are the best we’ve reviewed.

Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle

Developer Capcom was a key player in the beat ’em up genre’s popularity, thanks to several memorable arcade releases that gave players the opportunity to team up with a friend to pound enemy forces into pulp.

Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle collects seven of those games, including Final Fight and Knights of the Round, in a package that also includes online play for each game. If you fancy thumb-numbing, button-mashing action in either solo or multiplayer sessions, Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle is a recommended package. That said, it understandably lacks Capcom’s licensed gems, such as Cadillacs and Dinosaurs or The Punisher.

Relive the glory days of cooperative arcade games with the Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle!

This comprehensive collection includes seven classic games, each with various multiplayer options, online capabilities and detailed galleries!

Say goodbye to game overs! Adjust your difficulty settings or give yourself more lives to battle through each game in its entirety. You can also play the English or Japanese versions of each title!

Games included: Final Fight, Captain Commando, The King of Dragons, Knights of the Round and Warriors of Fate, as well as two games that were previously unavailable on consoles: Armored Warriors and Battle Circuit!

Grab some friends, stare down the bad guys and BEAT ‘EM UP!

The Best Beat Em Up Games for 2024

Fight’N Rage

Despite it retro aesthetic, Fight’N Rage is a thoroughly modern spin on the classic beat ’em up. Not only does the game incorporate clever fighting game elements, such as parries and super moves, it includes branching missions and sub-paths that offer fresh scenery and action should you decide to run off the beaten path.

That said, Fight’N Rage’s difficulty is a doozy, and its lack of built-in, online multiplayer is disappointing. Still, the post-apocalyptic beat ’em up is one that belong in your Steam library.

Set in a far future where humans are enslaved by mutants, Fight’N Rage is a side-scroller beat’em up inspired by the classics from the 90’s arcade gems.

In a world where “the law of the jungle” prevails… two humans and a mutant rebel are willing to fight in order to stop this madness.
Get ready to face ruthless mutants… Get ready to Fight’N Rage!

Features:
* Several endings: Your in-game actions will decide the story!
* Explosive combo system: Blow up your enemies with special combos!
* Lots of unlockables: Costumes, Game Modes, Options and even Playable Enemies!
* Different weapons and Parry System.
* Easy to play, hard to master.
* Local co-op mode: Up to 3 players with optional friendly fire.
* VS Mode: 1vs1 battles against another player or the CPU. Or simply watch CPU vs CPU battles.
* Additional near impossible extra challenges for pro-gamers!

River City Girls

You can’t mention beat ’em ups without the Kunio-kun series, a Japanese franchise featuring hot-blooded school kids rumbling in the streets. With River City Girls, developer WayForward took the Kunio reins and created the best series entry in some time.

WayForward’s love for the series drips from every roundhouse punch and baseball bat swing, as two high school students—Kyoko and Misako—crack skulls as they try to rescue their kidnapped boyfriends. River City Girls has terrific beat ’em up action, swinging synthpop music, and the ability to purchase new moves, accessories, and power ups, but a few glaring negatives keep the brawler from being a genre great.

There’s trouble once again on the mean streets of River City, but this time the boys are in over their heads! In this all-new entry in the legendary beat-’em-up series, hot-blooded heroes Kunio and Riki have been captured, leaving it to their hard-hitting girlfriends, Kyoko and Misako, to serve up some payback.

As you punch and kick your way across town – either solo or with a friend in local co-op – you’ll gain new skills, chow down on power-ups, wield an assortment of weapons, and unleash an arsenal of combos, throws, and special attacks that will leave the bad guys crying for mama – all in outrageous 16-bit style! The awesome action is punctuated by manga story panels, anime cutscenes, and an epic synth-pop soundtrack. It’s an old-school rumble for a new generation!

Key Features:
• Wild beat-’em-up action for one or two players!
• Glorious pixel-art graphics plus anime and manga cutscenes!
• Fantastic soundtrack featuring Megan McDuffee, Chipzel, Cristina Vee, Dale North, and NateWantsToBattle!
• Six large city regions to fight through, complete with shops and side quests!
• Loads of weapons, items, and abilities to power-up your heroines!
• Guest appearances by classic River City characters!

River City Girls 2

Kyoko and Misako once again put down their books and lift their fists for more teenage brawls through River City’s wild streets. In this sequel, developer WayForward and publisher Arc System Works enhance the high school-themed beat ’em up formula in nearly every aspect by introducing new moves, a larger map, and more playable characters. The absolutely amazing soundtrack, once again fronted by the incredible Megan McDuffee, gives the music an infectious quality that will keep you humming for days.

River City Melee Mach!!

The second Kunio-kun game in this roundup isn’t the traditional beat ’em up on which the River City franchise built its fame. Instead, River City Melee Mach!! takes the series’ combat fundamentals—punches, kicks, throws, and weapons—and adds power ups, special moves, stage gimmicks, and team-based, last-man-standing contests.

Featuring charming, retro-style graphics, fast-paced action, and nearly 200 characters, Arc System Works’ River City Melee Mach!! gives the series high school rivalries a fresh shot of life. Like River City Girls, it suffers a few issues that keep it from being a beat ’em up A-lister.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition

Way back in 2010, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game debuted on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 to much acclaim. Conceived as a tie-in game for the then-recently released live-action film, the Ubisoft Chengdu-developed title served as a fun take on the Brian Lee O’Malley comic book and a homage to genre classics.

For reasons that are still unclear, Ubisoft pulled the game from the PlayStation and Xbox digital storefronts in 2014. Seven years later, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game returns from its digital graveyard none the worse for wear with the same outstanding animation, rockin’ Anamanaguchi score, and big action. The Complete Edition includes modes that were previously available as DLC, such as Dodgeball and Zombie Hordes.

Sifu

The Sloclap-developed Sifu wears its inspirations on its sleeves, taking elements from Old Boy, John Wick, and Jackie Chan flicks to create a cinematic beat ’em up that’s just as fun to watch as it is to play. The deep combat system lets you parry, unleash super moves, and utilize weapons and environments as you seek revenge on villains who did your family wrong. The unique death system causes your character to grow older, exchanging youth and vitality for age and raw strength.

Streets of Rage 4

It’s been nearly three decades since SEGA released Streets of Rage 3, the previous entry in the beloved beat ’em up series, so the reveal of Streets of Rage 4 was shocking. The fact that it turned out to be quite good was even more surprising.

This brawler by developers LizardCube, Guard Crush Games, and Dotemu is Streets of Rage through and through. Featuring a diverse cast of new and returning martial artists looking to clean up a fictional city’s mean streets from a criminal syndicate, Streets of Rage 4 offers the hard-hitting combat, dreary urban environments, and sheer fun that’s defined the series since 1991. Streets of Rage 4’s wall splats, supers, and combo system give it fighting game elements that create extra gameplay depth.

Streets of Rage is a beat ‘em up series known for its timeless gameplay and electronic dance influenced music. Streets of Rage 4 builds upon the classic trilogy’s gameplay with new mechanics, beautiful hand-drawn visuals and a God tier soundtrack.

Team up with iconic and brand-new characters

Axel, Blaze, and Adam teaming up with new brother and sister in arms Floyd Iraia and Cherry Hunter to clean up the streets.

Outstanding Hand-Drawn Visuals and Soundtracks

With lush hand-drawn animations, new combat abilities, and fresh tracks from an amazing team of composers, Streets of Rage 4 will be a masterful tribute to and revitalization of the classic action fans adore.

Features

● Clean up the city by yourself or with another friend online!
● Team up to 4 people offline to take the city back!
● Classic gameplay enhanced with brand-new mechanics.
● 12 former Streets of Rage characters unlockable and playable in pixel versions.
● Play with the music of the previous Streets of Rage games!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brands is one tailor-made for beat-’em-up action, with its colorful cast of characters that feature humanoid reptiles, villainous martial artists, aliens, robots, and a rat that dispenses wisdom as often as he dispenses karate chops. With Shredder’s Revenge, TMNT receives one of its best video game adaptations to date.

Developed by Tribute Games, a team that features crew members who worked on the excellent Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game, Shredder’s Revenge heavily draws from the 1980s show, and has the colorful, toon-like visuals to match. In addition, it pulls elements from past Turtles games and toys to create 16 stages of wild street fighting. Six-player co-op play in online and offline modes ensures that you’ll fight like a family, just like playable characters April, Casey, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Splinter.

Treachery In Beatdown City

On the surface, Treachery In Beatdown City appears to be a strict homage to classic beat ‘em up games from the 1980s and 1990s. However, the brawler’s menu-driven, tactical combo system, and biting urban satire reveals a game that’s radically different than what’s come before it.

Developed by Nuchallenger, Treachery In Beatdown City is a fun game that requires you to use your brain to battle the way through the gentrification elements that plagues a fictional city’s streets, but its pace may prove too slow for traditional beat ’em up fans. Tactics fans, on the other hand, may really dig it.

Yakuza 0

Sega’s Yakuza is the rare polygonal series that adheres to the beat ’em up ethos. In Yakuza 0—the prequel story that shows how series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu rose through the ranks to become the big boss of a Japanese crime syndicate— you brawl through small, semi-open world regions with knuckles, guns, swords, and other weapons.

At the heart of the gangsterism is empathy and honor, be it between bro and bro, an orphan and his surrogate father, or well-dressed hoodlums and the desperate strangers they meet. It’s also a tale involving a pelvis-thrusting man, referred to as both Walking Erection and Mr. Libido, wearing nothing but shoes and tighty-whities. Yakuza 0’s ability to dance between the dramatic and the absurd, all of it punctuated with thrilling combat, makes this brawler one of the best on the PC.

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life

Yakuza 6: The Song of Life serves as a delightful, action-packed conclusion to Kazuma Kiryu’s gangster-filled story. The beat ’em up game features streamlined controls, fun boss bottles, and the oddball happenings you’d expect to find in the ridiculous, fictional Tokyo district of Kamurocho. It’s a bit on the easy side, though.

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Games

Best Safe ROM Sites 2023

By admin December 14, 2023

Are you missing your classic game series and wondering how to find it along with its console? Here is good news for you, Safe ROM sites can provide an easy solution to your issue. Even if you are unable to find the console of your favorite PC game, you can easily access them by downloading the ROM.

The internet spectrum is filled with several Safe Rom Download Sites that offer a safe option to install. However, with the legitimate sites, there also exist many spams and misleading sites that might force you into clicking somewhere else which might infect your PC.

To save you from the hassle of finding the best-suited option, here we have prepared a well-researched list of best ROM sites for you. So, without further ado let’s dive into the world of ROM sites.

List of 31 Best Safe ROM Sites in 2024

If you want to be safe from unwanted risk, refer to our rundown of safe ROM download sites which ensures security and safety along with perfect gaming experience.

1. Rom Hustler

Rom Hustler is one of the best sites for ROM in 2024. It has an impressive functionality to offer, simply enter the name of the console or the related keywords and you will be able to find it easily.

It is known to be one of the oldest ROM sites. Rom Hustler can efficiently fulfill all your requirements and at the same time keeps you safe from malicious malware and PC infections. This site has a massive list of some of the best ROMs and emulators currently available on the internet.

Furthermore, this site also enjoys a high amount of customer reviews and ratings, so you need not worry about its working and authenticity.

Key Features of Rom Hustler:

• The site is neatly designed to feature a vast amount of popular game ROMs in the most hassle-free manner.

• Rom Hustler has a separate mobile-friendly version to let users access the website directly from their smartphones.

• You can easily find and download the desired ROM files by sorting them in alphabetical order.

2. Retrostic

If you are searching for a retro console that can take you back in your teenage days, Retrostic can be the perfect and safe ROM site for you. It has an extensive game list and supports direct downloading without worrying about viruses and .Exe files. You can find all your classic and old games here.

Just navigate to the required console, select the game you wish to play and start playing. Alternatively, this safe ROM site can also function as an emulator.

Key Features of Retrostic:

• The site lets you download ROM or ISO files for almost all archived retro games.

• It allows you to get the latest game ROMs in just a matter of a few seconds.

• It even provides lots of emulators for running game ROMs and ISO files.

• Retrostic’s gigantic database contains 70000+ game titles for over 40 different consoles.

3. Gamulator

Next in the list of best ROM websites in 2024 is, Gamulator. It is one of the best-suited websites for new generation ROM’s and has an extensive list of games which keeps getting updated from time to time. Any game that has been released ever, is possibly available on Gamulator.

This new generation website is highly convenient and easy to use. With its easy navigation tools, you can easily find out your games from its extensive database.

Gamulator is a safe site and keeps you guarded against unwanted ads and pop-up notifications.

Key Features of Gamulator:

• Gamulator site is completely safe to use and does not annoy users with ads and pop-ups.

• It contains a vast amount of games and retro ROMs for the arcade emulators.

• It even allows users to download a variety of emulators for playing ROMs games.

4. DopeROMs

If you’re looking for a safe ROM site, then DopeROMs can be a good option for you. You can use this interactive platform to play your favorite game. It also allows you to play backups on your desktops and smartphones.

Its official websites have thousands of options available for use. You can also use its search bar to find out any ROM.

The most beautiful thing about DopeROMs is that you can enjoy playing your favorite games in your preferred language, that means no language barriers to spoil your gaming experience.

Key Features of DopeROMs:

• DopeRoms site has a straightforward and clutter-free user interface.

• It offers all the latest console ROMs and emulators for various platforms.

• It has an extensive database of game covers box art.

• DopeRoms is completely free of intrusive adverts or malware.

5. ROMsmania

ROMsmania is a perfect Safe Rom Download Site. It is known for its wide-ranging directory offering thousands of emulators and ROMs for download. You can use its search window to look out for a specific ROM.

The post you have the required ROM, click on it to check the list of download links available for use. This is a useful and safe ROM site to use and does not fill your screen with misleading ads and banners.

Key Features of ROMsmania:

• RomsMania website ranks among the best websites to download ROMs because of its attractive user interface.

• Apart from free ROMs games, the site lets you download emulators for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac.

• It even provides an option of playing popular retro games online in the web browser.

6. Cool ROM

Another user-friendly and safe platform for downloading emulators and ROM is Cool ROM. You can easily find out the required file within seconds. We are sure that this site will not leave you disappointed which earns it a permanent place on our list of Best Rom Sites in 2024.

As its name suggests, it offers a very cook working mechanism and lets you download ROMs of various genres like adventure, action, shooting, etc.

Going a step further, it displays several screenshots for every game; you can easily refer to them before downloading it. Also, it does not display misleading ads on your screen.

Key Features of Cool ROM:

• Cool ROM site has a clean and dark theme user interface (UI).

• Thousands of free game ROMs and the latest emulator options are available for download.

• The interface of Cool ROM is available in more than 10 different languages.

• The homepage of the site has an effective tutorial section for helping less experienced users run ROM games.

7. ROMs World

One of the most popular websites for ROMs and emulators is ROMs world. Visit this safe ROM site to enjoy your most loved game. It is a decent option for gaming freaks who do not recognize modern-day games, enjoy your childhood games like Mario with ROMs World.

It is a legit site and does not show any annoying ads and misleading links. If you are looking for a one-stop solution to download various ROMs, this is an ultimate option for you. This safe ROM website undoubtedly deserves a chance.

Key Features of ROMs World:

• Roms World Online provides thousands of gaming ROMs and emulators for PlayStation, GameCube Nintendo (GCN), Nintendo WII, and more.

• The homepage features the latest and favorite ROM games and you can look for the rest using the search box.

• The site is completely safe to visit as it is free from aggressive ads and pop-up windows.

8. Romspedia

Romspedia is the finest ROM file download website for all gamers, this website is free from viruses and safe to use. The user gets attractive storage of great ROM files. One can find the original artwork of a particular game on the homepage of the website, and also a set of programmes that let the user run a particular game on its PC is available on the home page.

There are a number of different ROM files available on this website and users can choose according to their requirements. ROM files for both iOS and Android devices are available here, so it becomes easy for all users to access these files that are available on this website.

The user also finds many Blog posts and articles on different topics to answer all the queries of the users. Many other details regarding a particular game can be found here, information like the region of the ROM file used, the releasing date of the game, and also the genre of a particular game. All this information is provided to the user on Romspedia.

Key Features of Romspedia:

• The Romspedia site has a well-organized interface and a user-friendly layout.

• It offers all the popular game ROMs, ISOs, emulators, and BIOS files.

• It even provides detailed info about the games, sounds, and covers.

9. RomUlation

RomUlation is another safe and convenient ROM site available for use. It uses an effective system to filter content and avoid abuse. You need to create an account and signup to use it and post

On successful sign up, you get 10000 points which can be used to download. For every 100MB, you require 100 points which keep on reducing with consecutive downloads.

Key Features of RomUlation:

• RomUlation lets you download ROM games for consoles like Nintendo Wii, DS, 3DS, PS2, etc.

• The homepage lists all the latest and most popular videogame ROMs for you to browse.

• The site is updated frequently with new ROM and ISO files.

10. ROMNation

If your search for the best and safe rom download sites is still not complete, then you can pick ROMNation. The site comes with a user-friendly design and also allows you to share ROM with your friends.

Some of the popular gaming Roms that you will find on ROMNation includes Metal Slug3, The King Of Fighters 2002, Metal Slug4, Super Mario Bros etc.

Key Features of ROMNation:

• ROMNation.NET site presents a mobile-friendly design and easy navigation.

• It offers a huge library of console ROMs and emulators.

• It lets you share ROMs games with your friends and gamers around the world.

11. CDRomance

Another safe site for ROM, filled with thousands of choices is, CDRomance. If you are looking at some original artwork games, then it is a suitable site for use. It also displays a few screenshots, which you can refer to before downloading.

As well described by the name itself, it is more focused on DVD and CD-supported games.

It also features additional details related to the game which include its date of release, the region of the ROM file, and its genre.

Key Features of CDRomance:

• CDRomance is a web-based platform filled with ROMs of many popular games.

• It displays the game’s original cover box art along with a range of gameplay screenshots for accessing the desired ROM file easily.

• It even provides additional details related to the ROMs and ISOs of games.

12. WoWroms

If you are looking for a convenient and easy-to-use ROM site, then WoWroms can be a decent choice for you. WoWroms is completely safe to use and contains more than 30 emulators and can work on old computer versions like DOS, Acron, Apple I, etc.

Use it to play Rom files online without downloading them directly. Brighten up your lazy weekend with WoWroms.

Key Features of WoWroms:

• WoWroms is a straightforward and entirely safe-to-use ROM site in 2024.

• It allows you to download ISOs and video game ROMs for SNES, PlayStation, and several other consoles.

• The site is completely free from spammy ads and misleading links.

13. Vimm’s Lair

Are you searching for a website that provides classic emulators and ROMs? Then there is no better option than Vimm’s Lair. It is quite an old site but stands firm among its competitors. If you wish to relive your childhood memories, then you should definitely try Vimm’s Lair.

The website is quite a popular name in the category of ROM download sites and has a massive collection of classic game consoles and legendary emulators. You can easily navigate through its list, sort it in alphabetical order, and search for your preferred option.

Key Features of Vimm’s Lair:

• Vimm’s Lair is an easy-to-navigate website with a great user interface.

• It contains numerous kinds of console emulators for thousands of ROMs games.

• It contains full-color manuals for more than 400 NES and SNES video games.

14. RomsMode

Next on our list of Safe Rom Download Sites is RomsMode. It offers a bottomless ocean of games ROMs including Super Nintendo, Pokemon- Black and Yellow versions, Mario Kart 64, Pokemon Diamond, Super Mario All-Start, and much more.

Along with its powerful working it is also known for its straightforward and clean interface.

Key Features of RomsMode:

• RomsMode has easy to understand the layout and well-designed navigation.

• It offers free ROMs download for GBA, SNES, N64, Wii, MAME, SEGA, and more.

• It runs in various locations and is not blocked in most countries.

15. Emulator Zone

Emulator Zone is a famous emulator site. It provides you with an extensive list of details including download links, emulator scams, ROMs, emulators, updates, ratings of emulators, and many more.

It contains various emulators for Saga, Xbox, Playstation, Mame, and many more. Emulator Zone is a fantastic option if you are searching for a safe site for ROMs.

This site is known for offering reliable services and enjoys a good reputation.

Key Features of Emulator Zone:

• Emulator Zone has an extensive collection of ROMs for classic video game consoles.

• The list of ROM files and emulators on the website is continuously updated.

• It even provides access to various utility programs.

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