BizHawk for Windows

An open-source emulator for PCs

BizHawk is a free and open-source utility tool that was developed by BizHawk Team for PC devices. It is a multi-system emulator that supports various classic computer systems and video game consoles. It is one of the tools being used by the people over at TASVideos, a dedicated community of gamers that provide Tool-assisted Superplay (TAS) videos. They are meant to showcase 'perfect' game playthroughs that can be done in the shortest amount of time possible.

What is BizHawk?

BizHawk is an emulator that was developed for computers and was written in the C# programming language. It's a multi-system platform that can run classic computer systems like the Apple II and Texas Instruments TI-83, and video game consoles from Atari, Sega, Nintendo, and many others. Later iterations extended support to various media players and programs, as well. It comes in an all-in-one installer, with all of its prerequisites already included, hence installation will be simple and easy.

While BizHawk can be used to emulate a variety of computer systems and applications, it's most popularly used for Tool-assisted Superplays or TAS videos. These videos demonstrate what superhuman playthroughs would be like, with little to no mistakes, and in the shortest amount of time possible to finish an entire game. Given the tool's ever-growing list of supported game consoles, it has become a popular choice for veteran speedrunners who are always looking for the next challenge.

BizHawk supports various gamepads and controllers, complete with full button remapping and other handy functions such as auto/rapid-fire and button auto-hold. Players also get full-screen support and tools for screen recording. One thing to take note of though is that this tool has a rather steep learning curve and will require a fair bit of technical know-how. Thankfully, there are plenty of resources online, as well as an active community to help you out.

An impressive emulator for gamers

All in all, BizHawk is an impressive game emulator for all types of gamers. If you're looking to experience playing classic video games, you can check this one out. The extra features that are included will also appeal to long-time speedrunners. There is a steep learning curve to get over, but it would be well worth it for what this tool offers.