When the Nintendo 64 hit the market in 1996, it was one of the most popular gaming systems in the world. Nearly 13 years later, many families still play on the Nintendo 64 but also have Nintendo 64 roms (read only memory devices that allow you to play the games on other platforms). The Nintendo 64 was a cartridge based system, unlike the newer systems today. Even as more modern systems and games are released, the roms are still popular. Here are a few reasons why:

• The Nintendo 64 roms are mostly G-rated. Most people learned the popular “Mario Brothers” games on the Nintendo 64. “Donkey Kong” is still on of the most popular games in gaming history. Even though more mature games like Final Fantasy and Resident evil were later introduced, Nintendo 64 is widely thought of as a system with a lot of family friendly games.
• Many of the games are no longer sold. You can scour flea markets and EBay for old games, but they are difficult to find. Downloading the roms will allow you to play a game that is no longer available.
• A lot of adults grew up playing Nintendo 64. The roms are nostalgic, even collector’s items for some. Playing the old games is like taking a trip back in time.

The Nintendo 64 produces all kinds of games that were enjoyed by many. What were some of the most popular games?

• As mentioned above, those crazy Mario Brothers continued their adventures on the Nintendo 64. Many holdovers from the 80’s arcade days learned that the Mario Brothers were good for more than just “Donkey Kong.”
• The Nintendo 64 was one of the first systems that offered modern sports games. Instead of playing a basic baseball game, players could play “All-Star Baseball 1999.” The roms of these older games are very popular as many people seek to relive the glory days of the past.
• Adventure games that were actually G-rated and suitable for kids were a stalwart of the Nintendo 64. “Snowboarding” became so popular that many versions of the game were introduced. Players in Florida that had never seen snow enjoyed the game and now enjoy the roms of the game.

Nintendo 64 roms allow you to play games from the 90’s on your gadgets of the new century. Imagine playing a game you first purchased in 1998 on your MP3 player or modern laptop computer. But before downloading roms, you should make sure:

• There is no foolproof way to determine if the roms are safe. Anytime you download something there is a risk that it could contain something harmful for the operating system where it will be stored. Do some research and make sure the site is safe.
• You should own the game for which you are downloading the rom. Nintendo is cracking down on piracy. The chances are you won’t get caught but it is better to be safe than sorry.
• Test the one of the roms before downloading the others. This way you won’t end up with many roms that you cannot use.

You can find the roms at www.freeroms.com and www.coolrom.com. Once you have your Nintendo 64 roms, enjoy taking a step back in time to play the “old school” games!