Best disc-based emulators that play retail discs?

[noiseredux]

OK, so the unthinkabe has happened... I've delved into... PC gaming.

I had dragged my feet for so long. I guess because I didn't want a "project" in setting up emulators, patches, or thinking about PC specs and all that. But I was recently interested in some of the browser games that JT had posted, so I figured I'd try to get XPadder working with my PS2 stick and yup! It worked. So then it occurred to me that if I could get disc-based emulators working, then I could actually collect shmups from other consoles besides Sony ones, pop the discs into my CD-ROM drive and play them like that without the headache of collecting consoles and sticks for those consoles that I don't even have the room for.

I was able to set up SSF fairly easily and picked up a copy of In The Hunt yesterday. So it seems that Saturn is a viable option now. I've also got Kega Fusion working for my Sega CD needs.

So that said, what other CD based consoles can I emulate? Which emulators are best for each?

It's (pretty) important to me that I can play directly from retail disc, as collecting physical games is still something I care about. Though I suppose if I had to I could collec the disc and rip it to ISO if I had to. But would really rather I could play from disc.

[AppleQueso]

I think the vast majority of disc-based emulators let you play from retail discs, the only exceptions being systems that used weird disc formats to begin with (Dreamcast and Gamecube come to mind).

[brunoafh]

Magic Engine will allow you to play retail PC Engine games.

[ZenErik]

SSF has horrible input lag. Shmups and fighters aren't really playable with it. RPGs are mostly okay.

I'm using pSX for PS1 games. Works well. I would recommend nullDC for Dreamcast, but I don't assume you have a drive that can read GD ROM.

[noiseredux]

SSF has horrible input lag. Shmups and fighters aren't really playable with it.

This article disagrees with you: http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/sat ... n-emulator

Did you actually mess with settings to optimize performance? I played In The Hunt on it and it seemed ok to me.

[ZenErik]

SSF has horrible input lag. Shmups and fighters aren't really playable with it.

This article disagrees with you: http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/sat ... n-emulator

Did you actually mess with settings to optimize performance? I played In The Hunt on it and it seemed ok to me.

And users on the shmup forum say otherwise. SSF may be accurate, but it has A LOT of input lag.

[Opa Opa]

Ignore erik.

If you don't have any interest in purchasing a Saturn, SSF works well enough as a substitute.

[ZenErik]

Ignore erik.

If you don't have any interest in purchasing a Saturn, SSF works well enough as a substitute.

Just going on personal experience. I would gladly love to be wrong about this. I want a good Saturn emulator badly!

[noiseredux]

Just going on personal experience.

Personal experience? You mean you personally experienced reading the Shmups forum?

While I do appreciate the input Erik, you do have a bit of a history now of basing your opinions on things you've heard/read on forums rather than first hand experience. So it's sometimes hard for me to take your word on these kinds of things because truth be told, I could probably find a link to a forum out there that could prove that somebody has bad-mouthed just about anything at one time or another.

[ZenErik]

Just going on personal experience.

Personal experience? You mean you personally experienced reading the Shmups forum?

While I do appreciate the input Erik, you do have a bit of a history now of basing your opinions on things you've heard/read on forums rather than first hand experience. So it's sometimes hard for me to take your word on these kinds of things because truth be told, I could probably find a link to a forum out there that could prove that somebody has bad-mouthed just about anything at one time or another.

I use SSF. That is how I know. Do not give me that rubbish.

If you don't notice the lag, GREAT. I do. I've played Radiant Silvergun and Soukyugurentai on it. Lots and lots of input lag. Perhaps it's just a setting I need to change. I would love it if that were the case.

It's hard for me to take your word on any game you think is "good", but what's your point here?