Game Boy and Game Boy Color were the handheld consoles that started it all. Their release showed that you could have well made games that fit in your pocket. Handheld game consoles have evolved a lot since then, but there are many who still enjoy the classics. Let’s take a look at the best Game Boy emulators, Game Boy Color emulators, and Game Boy Advanced emulators for Android!
Looking for more handheld emulators? Try these!
GBA.emu is one of two Game Boy emulators here by Robert Broglia. This one is for the Game Boy Advanced. It comes with all the features you’d expect. That includes quick saves, BIOS emulation, cheat code support, hardware controller support, and even cheat codes. It is compatible with most game ROMs that we tried. It also plays smoothly. There is also cross-platform support with his PC version. That means you can play virtually anywhere. There isn’t a free version to test. You’ll need to test it out inside of the refund time to make sure it works for you.
GBC.emu, also by Robert Broglia, is one of the best Game Boy Color and Game Boy emulators available on Android. There is support for both Game Boy and Game Boy Color systems so you can play either console. It has a high compatibility rate so most games should work. It also supports Game Genie and Gameshark cheat codes, cross-platform support with the PC version, and support for hardware controllers. It’s open source which is good. The only downside, like GBA.emu, is that you’ll have to pay to play. Be sure to test it out inside of the refund time to make sure you’re happy with it.
GBA.emu Free and GBC.emu Free are forks off of Robert Broglia’s open source emulators. These Game Boy emulators support Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advanced. They have the usual fair in terms of features. That includes save states, hardware controller support, and a decent compatibility rate. The last updates for these were in 2013. That means the developer has likely abandoned the project. However, these could be good emulators for older versions of Android and older devices that might not play well with newer, more updated Game Boy emulators.
GemBoy is one of the newer Game Boy emulators. This one covers Game Boy Color and regular Game Boy games. It comes with the usual set of features. That includes save and load states. It also allows for between presses for the A and B buttons. That makes things easier. Other than that, it’s just a lightweight, simple emulator. It’s a good option for those who don’t want much between them and their game. It has a few bugs here and there, but it’s an overall solid option.
John GBA is easily one of the best Game Boy Advanced emulators. It supports pretty much every game out there. It also includes on-screen controls, game search, cheat codes, fast forward and slow down modes, and more. There is also Dropbox support for easy backups. That doesn’t require another app called John DataSync. It works entirely offline and contains no advertising which is also a hefty plus. It’s relatively inexpensive and is a go-to Game Boy Advanced emulator for many people.
We’re halfway done, here are some more suggestions for emulators!
John GBC is one of the more popular Game Boy Color and Game Boy emulators. As you may have guessed, it’s by the same developer as John GBA and it contains many of the same features. That includes the original Game Boy Color engine. There is also support for cheat codes, fast forward and slow down modes, turbo buttons, game search, and Dropbox support. It’s a highly reliable emulator. Like its Game Boy Advanced counterpart, it works offline with no ads.
My Boy is one of the most popular Game Boy Advanced emulators out there. It has a high compatibility along with a laundry list of features. They include superior link cable support (over WiFi or Bluetooth), high game compatibility, fast forward and slow down modes, cheat codes, and hardware controller support. It also has some advanced features like OpenGL rendering, BIOS emulation (so you don’t need a BIOS file), and rumble emulation using your phone’s vibrate motor. It offers an almost complete experience and that’s impressive.
My OldBoy is easily one of the most popular Game Boy Color and Game Boy emulators. Much like My Boy (same developer), this one has a ton of features, including link cable emulation, cheat code support, hardware controller support, fast forward and slow motion modes, and more. It also includes the OpenGL rendering and rumble emulation like My Boy. In fact, it’s pretty much My Boy but for Game Boy and Game Boy Color. There’s a free version to try. The full version goes for $3.99.
Nostalgia GBC isn’t as well known. However, it’s still one of the better Game Boy Color and Game Boy emulators. Both the free and paid version allow for the same features, including turbo buttons, high game compatibility, and both on-screen controls and hardware keyboards. Unlike most, this Game Boy emulator includes a game rewind feature that lets you go back a few seconds to try a segment over again. It’s fun to use, especially in platformers. The free version is ad supported and requires an online connection (no ads display while gaming, just during menus) whereas the paid version has none of these requirements.
RetroArch is a multi-system emulator that uses the Liberto development interface. This system uses “cores” that you can install and each “core” is essentially a video game emulator. As it turns out, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advanced all have “cores” that work in RetroArch, making it possible to play all of them with just one app. It doesn’t have quite as many features as individually coded Game Boy emulators, but it has a high compatibility rate. It’s also totally free, open source, and there is no advertising at all. The only downside is that you’ll need to learn how to use it. It’s a big more complicated than other emulators.
Thank you for reading! Here are some final emulator suggestions!
If we missed any of the best Game Boy emulators, Game Boy Color emulators, or Game Boy Advanced emulators, tell us about them in the comments!
Emulators are a standard in gaming industry.
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