You can relive all your childhood favorites with Delta, but start with these classics.
Key Takeaways
- Delta emulator on iOS lets users to play classic games from NES to DS on their phones legally.
- Accessing ROMs legally is important to play these games on Delta — piracy is considered software theft.
- Games like Pokemon, Zelda, and Mario are nostalgic picks to play, including tactical games like Final Fantasy on-the-go.
As great as a good number of dedicated gaming handheld systems are, not everyone needs something that powerful to play the games they like. I personally enjoy diving back into my childhood with some classic games from generations past, but there are always a bunch of hoops to jump through if you don't own the original hardware. Delta has been a fantastic emulator for years, and it's finally made the jump to iOS. So, you can now turn your phone into all your old retro consoles, from the NES and Game Boy to N64 and DS. That's a lot of nostalgia in your pocket.
Getting the Delta app is as easy as searching for it in the app store, but an emulator itself can't play games. Think of it like having a console, but no game for it to run. Emulators use ROMs to recreate all these old titles, but while emulation is legal, downloading ROMs you didn't make yourself from legally purchased games is not. Once you've dumped your ROMs, you can easily open them with Delta and start playing. While many sites offer pirated versions of ROMs to download for free, I must make it clear that this is an illegal act of software piracy and will not be detailing how or where to access any pirated ROMs.
1 Pokemon Red/Blue
Catch 'em all again
Pokemon Red
Release Date September 28, 1998 Genre RPG Developer Game Freak
I'm willing to bet that Pokemon titles are some of the most emulated games out there. This series has such a massive fanbase that fell in love with catching and battling these little monsters, whether it be in generation one or nine. While I'm highlighting Red and Blue, you can't go wrong with any of the titles available on the DS in my eyes. Those who remember struggling to play in the back of their parent's car at night — only being able to see when the streetlights went by — or sneaking it to school to play at recess will be drawn to whichever game brings them back to that time. Even if that isn't Red and Blue for you, I'd still suggest giving them a shot to see where the series began. It's the simplest game but has all the ingredients of an amazing monster-catching adventure.
2 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
A dreamy adventure
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Release Date August 6, 1993 Genre Adventure Developer Nintendo EAD
Link's Awakening was the first handheld Zelda title and embraced its limitations — instead of somehow sectioning off or shrinking Hyrule down to size, the team instead took Link to an isolated island that made perfect sense to be much smaller in scope. With a smaller landmass, we also got a game far more dense and filled with secrets. Each item opens up so many possibilities within the same space that it has a bit of a Metroidvania vibe to it. The plot and characters are simultaneously charming and cheerful, but there's an unshakable darkness behind the scenes that only fully reveals itself after the conclusion. Zelda stories at this point were very basic, but Link's Awakening managed to have a lasting impact on the audience with minimalistic storytelling.
3 Mario's Picross
Picture puzzles
Mario's Picross
Release Date March 16, 1995 Genre Puzzle Developer Jupiter Corporation
Picross is a game that takes the best parts of Sudoku, makes it a little easier, and mixes it with some awesome pixel art to make a game I'm still addicted to. There have been dozens of Picross games at this point for various franchises, but you can't go wrong with the classic Mario's Picross. It has 256 puzzles included across various difficulty levels so you won't be running out any time soon.
If you've never played a Picross game, it's simple. You're given a square grid with numbers along the edges that indicate how many squares in that row or column should be filled in to create a picture. Just like Sudoku, you need to consider the numbers on both the vertical and horizontal sides to deduce the correct spots to fill in. But, since you're also making a picture, it makes it easier to know if you're on the right track based on how it looks.
4 Metroid Fusion
Samus' darkest trials
Metroid Fusion
Release Date November 17, 2002 Genre Action adventure Developer Nintendo R&D1
Metroid Fusion is a strange case. In my mind, it's the definitive entry to play. But, for reasons I can't comprehend, it was released on the same day as Metroid Prime for the Game Cube. By this time, the GBA was showing its age and Prime was a fresh new take on the series that got a lot of well-deserved attention. However, Fusion deserved more of a chance to shine. It has impeccable pixel art and a mood that puts you in the mindset of being hunted through an abandoned space station. The SA-X is the best antagonist the series ever had, and the stakes feel higher than ever before. Of course, the Metroidvania formula is at its peak here as well. This is the perfect chance to revisit this masterpiece if you let it pass you by.
5 Final Fantasy Tactics
Worthy of a number
Final Fantasy Tactics
Release Date January 28, 1998 Genre Tactics Developer Square
I could've picked any of the first six mainline Final Fantasy games to include on this list, and while six were tempting, I have to show Tactics the love. Despite not having a number, I consider it to be on par with all the other mainline games released during this generation. The tactical combat systems introduced here are still considered the standard new games are held up against, and the story is bold and not afraid to tackle difficult moral questions. Because of the structure of battles and management, it's a great game to pick up and put down on the go.
6 Donkey Kong Country
Go bananas
Donkey Kong Country
Release Date November 18, 1994 Genre Platformer Developer Rare
If you're an eagle-eyed reader, you'll notice that I have no Mario platformers here and instead opted to give that slot to my good friend DK. I'm not saying Donkey Kong Country is better than Super Mario World — though I wouldn't say you were wrong to have that opinion — but we all know Mario is great. You don't need me to recommend playing Mario 1, 2, 3, World, or any of the other games, but DK games get left in the shadows too often for how great they are. The graphics won't blow your mind like they would have in the 90s, but the style of each game still holds up and stands out as something you don't see anywhere else. If the hefty and momentum-based platforming wasn't enough to draw you in, just wait until you hear the soundtrack.
7 Super Mario Kart
Back to the start
Super Mario Kart
Release Date September 1, 1992 Genre Racing Developer Nintendo EAD
Who doesn't love Mario Kart? The joy of racing with Mario and his wacky cast of characters is always a great time — until the Blue Shell showed up. But that friendship-ruining item wasn't included in Super Mario Kart, automatically making it one of the best entries in the series. Jokes aside, this game has everything you could want in a kart racer. You have a decent selection of characters of various stats, fun tracks with catchy tunes, and various cups to compete in. Races don't take more than a few minutes (unless you drive like I do on Rainbow Road) so you can easily take a race here and there while out and about.
8 The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The perfect loop
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Release Date October 26, 2000 Genre Action adventure Developer Nintendo EAD
If I didn't ruffle your feathers by picking DK over Mario, then I almost certainly will by picking Majora's Mask over Ocarina of Time. My reasoning is about the same, plus Link's Awakening fills the traditional Zelda game mold in my mind. Majora is anything but traditional but also feels perfect for playing on the go. As a semi-sequel to Ocarina, Link ends up in a new land called Termina which is going to be struck by the moon in three days. You have that long to find a way to stop this catastrophe caused by a Skullkid wearing the malevolent Majora's Mask. Thanks to the song of time, you can reset those three days as many times as needed to get things right. This design choice changes everything about the Zelda formula, from NPC schedules to planning when to do certain tasks and in what order. It has gotten a lot more recognition since it came out, and should be the first 3D Zelda game you add to Delta.
