Nothing can beat a portable system designed specifically for gaming. There are tons of emulators available on Google Play, but most have awkward controls, large game files, resolution issues, and hardware compatibility problems. The list could go on…

The only problem with the portable gaming system is the fact that you have to lug it around, which isn’t necessarily that bad, but you’re more than likely lugging around your Android smartphone or tablet too.

Also, what if your favorite old school games are not available on any portable systems? For example, the Nintendo 64. That’s where an emulator can really shine, and I just happen to have a good N64 emulator to share with you for your Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

Step 1: Download Your N64 ROMs

You can pretty much find all of the N64 games that you own online. All you need to do is download the file (which should come in .zip format) and save it onto your computer. I own Mario Kart 64, so I downloaded the .zip file from a site online.

You can download the .zip file directly from your Galaxy Note 2, but it could take a while, depending on the speed of your connection. If you do get the file from your device, skip over to Step 3

Note: Make sure you DO NOT unzip the file.

Step 2: Place Your ROMs on Your SD Card

Plug your Note 2 into your computer and drag the .zip file over to your internal storage (SD card). Disconnect your device after the transfer is complete.

Step 3: Download & Install the N64 Emulator

The emulator you’ll need to play any of your N64 ROMs is Mupen64+AE FREE, which is the best one in the market, not to mention it’s free.

Step 4: Load Up Your ROMs

To load the games onto the emulator, open up Mupen64, tap on Game, and find your .zip files. Once you select one, the ROM will be loaded and ready to play.

Step 5: Play!

Once the game is selected, you’ll be taken back to the main menu in Mupen64, where you can select Play to start the game. The controls are a bit rough at first, since the joystick on the N64 control is hard to integrate into a touchscreen.

After a while though, I got used to it and was able to successfully play. You can change settings such as control input, video, audio, and save the game, with the latter definitely coming in handy.

Now, like I said, this N64 emulator is free, but the developer, Paul Lamb, does have a pro version of Mupen64Plus Android Edition available that costs $0.99. There are no differences between the two versions, only that the paid one is for donations.