Bsnes is a Super Nintendo emulator that's been around since 2004 and is known for its efforts to reproduce Super Nintendo games in pixel perfect accuracy.

The emulator also gives special focus to ensuring that your gaming experience is as bug-free as possible. However, in order to reproduce the speed and playability of SNES games, the RAM load of Bsnes is quite high and you may experience some freezes if you're working on a slower system.

It doesn't help that Bsnes heavily utilises Direct3D, OpenGL, DirectSound and DirectInput to get such good results but the payoff is probably worth if you're running a faster machine. However, even if you do have decent hardware, you'll probably experience a few bugs and crashes as it is still very much a work in progress.

If you had a Snes or loved the old console, then Bsnes is surely one of the most accurate emulators out there.

Download Bsnes 0.036 in Softonic

I was never a SNES fan but I've got plenty of friends that rave about the time when the console really rocked and they stayed glued at it for hours.

Obviously, that all ended - not because they grew up but because Playstations and XBoxes came along. Now however, you can re-live those halcyon days with Mario and his friends via this emulator which reproduces the console in all it's glory. From Mario to Zelda, you can play it all with Snes9x. The emulator supports the decompression of ZIP files so if your ROM files are zipped up, it's no problem. Like playing on an original Snes, you can save games to restart them later, customize game controls and best of all, even link up with other users over the internet for some truly original Snes action. Probably the piece de resistance however is the fact that this emulator can actually improve the graphics via the "Super Eagle" screen filter. This basically takes all those classic blocky images, re-composes them, and smooths them out to give your games a more modern feel and look. This looks particularly good with Super Mario World and if you have a 3D card, you can even give the characters increased depth and definition without losing the original charm.

For Snes addicts, this emulator is an essential for reliving those glory days of Mario and Zelda without being told off by your mum for playing too long.

Download Snes9x 1.51 in Softonic

Secret Maryo Chronicles is a 2D Jump&Run Game built upon SDL. It is open-source software so the source is included in the download package from Sourceforge.

Anyone who played games back in the day of the SNES will recognize just about everything in this game except maybe for the added extra of a level editor. Activated by F8 in the game, you can insert any graphic file as a background or massive sprite in the game. Many standard graphics like hedges and ground sprites are included. You can insert enemies, set the player's start position on the level, insert active sprites, and create semi-solid sprites which the player can jump through, but can not fall through.

Download Secret Maryo Chronicles 0.99.7 in Softonic

If, like the Softonic Team, you spent your wonder years in the company of moustachioed plumbers and blue hedgehogs then Console Classix is the perfect vehicle to transport you back to those times. The application puts a new spin on emulators such as MAME by allowing you to download and play games for the NES, SNES, Atari, Genesis and Master System legally, rather than having to creep around the Net's dirty side streets looking for dodgy ROMs.

Getting into the action takes just a few moments and involves nothing more than loading the program selecting a console then picking a game from the list. The app then fetches the game via the Net and you're ready to start jumping on mushrooms or punching aliens. The list of games is immense and you could have hours of fun just reading it and recalling those nights spent button-bashing in your bedroom.

Ultimately, the downside of Console Classix is that you need to pay a $5 per month charge to access Genesis, Super Nintendo and Master System games. However, if you've ever owned a NES or an Atari 2600 then you'll realize that this isn't such a problem due to the massive back catalogue of classics such as Paperboy, Super Mario Bros and Duck Hunt. Of course there are a few stinkers on the list (Back to the Future should never have been made into a game) but finding the long-forgotten gems makes using Console Classix a real dream.

Download Console Classix 3.6 in Softonic

This is a very faithful recreation of the Super Mario World game that swept the youth of yesteryear off their feet. The five levels in this freeware will give you a few hours of great fun and make you want to dust off your old SNES and get cracking all over again.

Download Super Mario World Deluxe 1.0 in Softonic