iNES

iNES is a cool program that lets you play your favorite Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Famicom games right on your computer! Whether you're on a PC, Mac, or even a handheld device like a PocketPC, iNES has got you covered. The whole idea for this NES emulator started with Alex Krasivsky, who stumbled upon some programming info online and kicked things off by writing the first lines of code. But at one point, Alex lost interest in the project. That's when I jumped in and rewrote the code to make it work just like the original hardware. I also added support for many different cartridge types and hardware extras.

The First User-Friendly Emulator

When iNES launched back in 1996, it was the first emulator that anyone could use without needing to be an expert. Before that, there was only one other NES emulator called Pasofami, which was pretty tricky to figure out. Plus, iNES introduced the .NES file format for cartridges!

A Wave of Piracy

Now, releasing such a playable emulator for a beloved console like the NES led to some unexpected issues—like piracy. Some folks warned me about this happening when we launched iNES. At first, I didn't think much of it because other emulators hadn't caused too much fuss. But boy was I wrong! It turns out lots of people have great memories tied to their first video games.

The Evolution of iNES

Over the years, I've worked alongside others online to learn more about how NES hardware operates—either through experimentation or digging into old programming documents. The latest version of iNES supports around thirty-six different cartridge types! It can load software from Famicom Disk System images and even run arcade games from the VS System! For gamers who love cheat codes, you can use GameGenie codes too! And if you're into coding your own NES games? There's even a built-in debugger.

Save Your Game Anytime!

If you're just looking to play games with iNES, don't worry; there's a game state saving feature that lets you pick up right where you left off anytime. Plus, if you're into game soundtracks, you can save them as MIDI files using our soundtrack logging feature.

Compatibility Galore!

This amazing emulator is written in portable C language. That means it can run on any fast enough device—whether it's a gaming console or even something like an MP3 player! If your company is interested in using NES emulation for its products, feel free to reach out about licensing the source code from me.

What's New?

This latest release comes with some exciting features:

• You can now enjoy NetPlay! Play against friends over the network with two copies of iNES running on Windows PCs or smartphones.


• I improved TV scanline simulation and added an image softening filter for better visuals.


• The full-screen mode now runs at 640x480 resolution!


• I've also ported iNES-Symbian to UIQ3 smartphones from Sony Ericsson and Motorola.


• I fixed stability issues in iNES-Symbian so games run smoothly now.