13 Best Apps to Download Retro ROMs for Android in 2023
Once upon a time, before smartphones have replaced all the other gaming machines, gamers from all over the globe have enjoyed console video games.
Although these times are long gone, the memories about retro games still warm the hearts of lots of us. And that’s what the ROMs are for — to give you an old-school gaming experience on modern smart devices.
There are lots of apps to download retro ROMs for Android in 2023 that can bring back the fun of playing the gaming classics. These apps cover plenty of games so you’ll definitely find all your old faves.
In case you need to manage the ROMs you ready have, check out this articles: 9 Best ROM Manager Apps for Android
Here’s the list of the 13 best apps in that category you should try. Take a look!
Retro Game Center
Let’s start with an app called Retro Game Center. As you can already guess, this is an app that covers all your fave old-school games.
This app is basically a massive compilation of more than 15 thousand retro games you can reach for free. All the most well-known genres of games are covered and new ones are being uploaded from time to time.
Although the number of ROMs in this app seems massive, it’s quite easy to navigate. That’s cause all the games are organized by the genre and the year it originally came out. Plus, you can use various filters in the searching engine such as rating, release decade, and other keywords so it’s easy to find something specific.
Herewith, you can mark all your fave games for easy access. Once you’ve found the game you’d like to play, all you’ve left to do is to click the “link ROM”. After that, the file will be added to the game so you could instantly play it. Plus, the app can scan your device to detect all the ROMs you already have.
You may also like: 7 Free N64 Emulators for Android
GBA SNES NES ROMS AND EMULATOR DATABASE
GBA SNES NES ROMS is another popular ROM app that empowers you to load all your fave oldie games.
This app has all the basic features you might need. First of all, it covers a massive base of more than 3000 games. Herewith, all the games are organized by genres and developers so the app is easy to navigate. Plus, the app has a powerful searching engine with lots of filers such as the release year, tags, and all that.
You can also filter the games by the platform it was originally released for if needed. Plus, the app contains multiple compilations of the most popular games of the month, fan’s faves, and more. The new games being added to the app each month so you’ll always have fresh gaming material.
To start playing the game you need to tap on the “load ROM” key and it will start immediately right in the app. You can also mark all your fave games and add them to your personal list for easy access. The quality of the games is quite nice but you may find the sound a bit glitchy.
GBA Roms Games Emulator Database Download Tutorials
As its name suggests, GBA Roms is an emulator app that covers thousands of ROM sets.
This is a one-stop app for all the people out there who miss the oldie games. The game covers the ROMs for all the popular retro games from various platforms. Plus, the app runs smoothly on all Android devices, even the older ones. As for the ROM archive of this app, there are thousands of options for you to try.
Herewith, all the games are sorted by genres so it’s easy to navigate. In case you’re looking for something specific, you can use filters in the searching engine. You can try such filters as the release date, the developer, the console the game was originally made for, and so on. Plus, there are lots of compilations with the most popular games is specific categories and all that.
The app also has a user-friendly interface so you’ll quickly find out how to cope with it. But if you’ll have any troubles there are guideline sections with the tutorials. All the games load with one click and there’s a special button that empwoers you to skip the intro. Plus, the app automatically saves the game when you exit.
Classic Games – Arcade Emulator
Classic Games is an arcade emulator that gives you entrance to a massive base of classic ROMs.
This app covers all the best classic games such as Final Fight, Cadillac, Dino, and all that. Plus, it covers all the most famous games from various platforms — from SEGA to Nintendo. Although there are hundreds of games in this app it’s quite easy to find something specific.
All the games are sorted by genres and consoles and the app also has a powerful searching engine. Thus, you can filter the ROMs by the release date, the developer, and all that. Installing a new ROM is easy — just click on the self-titled button and that’s it — the game will start immediately.
Plus, all the ROMs you’ve loaded will be saved in your personal collection for quick access. And once you’ve installed the ROM you no longer need an Internet connection to run the game. The cool thing is you can even play in a local multiplayer mode with your mates via Wi-Fi. You can also save the game to come back to the same spot later.
GBA GAME: EMULATOR AND ROMS
The main goal of this app is to give you a one-stop source for playing your fave retro games. Plus, the app has a friendly UI so you’ll quickly find out how it works. All you need to do to load the game here is to find it in the list and tap on the “load ROM” button.
Once it’s done the game starts to load immediately. Herewith, you can automatically skip the intro and save the game at any time to come back to the same point later. All the ROMs you load being added to your personal collection, so they’re easy to reach. Besides, the loaded games don’t require an Internet so you can play anytime anywhere.
Speaking of the games covered by the app, there are hundreds of them in all genres. All the games are sorted by the genre and the platform as well so it’s easy to find something specific. Plus, you can bookmark the games you want to play to not waste time searching next time.
Romsmania
Romsmania is a site that has been on the market for a while. It’s fair to say, this site has one of the most extensive ROM archives.
In the first place, you’ll have no troubles with installing ROMS from this web to your Android so no worries about that. Plus, you can pick the format of the ROMS while the install which is also great. And even if you don’t want to get any ROMs, there a ‘Play Online’ section that empowers you to load your fave classic games right in the browser.
As was already mentioned, this source has a massive base of ROMS and emulators of various genres. All of those are thoroughly organized so it’s easy to navigate. Besides, you can use a searching engine with filters to find something specific. You can use such filters as the developer and the release date, and also sort the games by their popularity.
The site also covers various compilations such as best games of all time and all that (it totally depends on your taste though but those lists are helpful when you’re not sure which game to pick). As for the emulators, all the consoles are covered as well — from Nintendo to PSP and Xbox.
Check also: 15 Safe ROM download websites in 2019
Gamulator
Gamulator is another archive that you can safely get the ROMs from.
This web is an absolute treasure for all the retro games fans as it covers more than just ROMs — there are also thematic articles, blogs, and other fun stuff. There are also lots of open discussions on various topics you can take part in. Plus, this website is famous for its large ROM collection filled with exclusive options.
In other words, even if you’re struggling with finding a particular retro game the chance to get it here is quite high. The website also covers the games from all the possible platforms. Thus, no matter if your fave game was released on a PC, set-top box, or a console — Gamulator has you covered.
Plus, the website has a powerful searching engine that makes it easy to find the game that equals your taste. You can filter the games by platform, release, developer, and genre. In case you’re not sure what you want to play, there are lists of the most popular games, fan’s faves, and all that.
DopeROMs
DopeROMs is one of the most well-known ROMs sources.
This site is practically a massive archive with thousands of retro games. The collection of these sites goes down to the very classics — the games that were launched on cartridges. Herewith, this site is famous for having the simplest UI out there — it’s incredibly easy to find something there even if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
There are four sections placed on the main page — ROMS, Emulators, Arts, and Support. You can move through the source using these parameters and there’re outstanding searching engines within ROMs and Emulators. When you’ll find the game for yourself and click the install switch the site will take you to the TheOldComputer where you can install the ROMs.
All the games are organized by genres so it’s easy to find something specific. Plus, all the games on this website are already translated into your language. Thus, you can not bother about the country the game was originally released in. As you start playing, the game also grants you to save yourself to come back to the same point later on.
Easy ROMs
Easy ROMs is another popular web with a huge compilation of ROMs.
Along with the previous one, this web also has minimal design and a simple UI. There are basically two sections you can navigate in — ROMs and Emulators. There’s an individual searching engine for both of them which makes the navigation even easier. As for the ads — there are no pop-ups and not that many ads at all which is great.
As you can expect, the ROM archive of this web is quite impressive — it covers all the best classics and some underrated games as well. Plus, the web includes the games made for several platforms — from console to PC.
And the cherry on top — the new ROMs are being uploaded to the site on a regular basis so you’ll always have something new to try. Besides, all the games are sorted by genres and you can use extra filters to find something specific. When you click on the install button you’re being redirected to Mega cloud which means all the files will be installed fast.
Emuparadise
Emuparadise is a ROM compilation web that can rightfully be called a fan favorite.
The first thing you need to keep in mind about this source — it has been on the market for a long time. That’s why it might look a bit old-school in comparison with some newer sources. However, the web still has a user-friendly interface with easy navigation, and the ROM collection you can get from here is quite solid.
This site covers all sorts of oldie games for all the gaming machines you can think of. Plus, all the games are thoughtfully organized by the date, the platform, the genre, and all that so it’s easy to find something specific. There are also lots of so-called quick links with thematic compilations of ROMs and other stuff.
But the coolest thing is — you don’t even need to get the ROM to play your fave oldie game as you can do it online. At that, the website is not overloaded with ads that may annoy you or give you some virus. Apart from ROMs and emulators, the site covers lots of gaming-related stuff such as graphic novels, magazines, tutorials, and much more.
Loveroms
Loveroms is another source you can get free retro ROMs from.
Along with similar sites, this one also has a wide range of ROMs for all the most beloved retro games such as Super Mario, Final Fantasy, and Pokemon. It even covers a compilation of old Harry Potter games for PC we all love (yeah, the ones with glitchy graphics and hilarious sounds).
Plus, the site covers games released on multiple platforms — from consoles to PC and even cartridges. All the games are classified by genres so it’s easy to navigate through the site. Plus, you can use the search engine with extra filers to find something specific. All the games come with detailed descriptions and tags so you’ll know exactly what you’re going to play.
In case you’re not sure which game to pick you can always view the thematic compilations of the most popularized games or the fan’s faves. The only bad thing about this source is the number of ads it has. Frankly speaking, the ads are everywhere and there are even some pop-up ones. Of course, you can quickly close all the ads but it’s still hella annoying.
ROMNation
As you can guess by the name, ROMNation is a site that covers various retro ROMs.
First of all, this site requires registration and you’ll be unable to install anything without it. It might sound annoying but it’s done to stop the spam and infected files from uploading on the site. In case you don’t mind a registration this site can help you get lots of old games even the ones that seem impossible to find.
The site is mostly dedicated to the games from several consoles (you can find the complete list on the main page — there are more than 30 of them). There’s the list of the most famous games on the main page and you can tap on the console you’re interested in to see the ROMs for it.
In case you want to search the game by genre, you’ll need t use a searching engine. Plus, there are several thematic compilations with the most loved games of the month and all that. Apart from the previous site, this one doesn’t have any ads at all which is always great.
You may also check: 11 Free NES emulator apps for Android
Romulation
And lastly, Romulation is a ROM archive that gives you entrance to all the best retro games.
Apart from its sister sites on our list, this one doesn’t allow you to get ROMs without any effort. This site runs on a point system and each download will cost you a particular amount of points. You’ll get 10 thousand points for the registration but you’ll need to take some actions to get more.
The rules are simple — you upload some new files on the sire — you get points (sounds fair, isn’t it?). If you’ll keep uploading new data regularly you’ll quickly get the regular participant rank but it won’t happen after one or two uploads. This rank will give you 500 points per day but only if you’ll keep proving you deserve it.
There’s also a quick way to get points — to become a premium member but it will cost you real money. However, if you’re not planning to get a bunch of games you — don’t even bother, the registration points will work. Plus, there are some ROMs you can get for free as well.
Anne Novikova
Enjoy finding leading apps of all kinds and share them with the world. An iOS user with an interest to all gadgets that make life easier and more fun.
