Most people outside the NES fanbase have never heard of Mesen. However, the emulator is quite popular among NES enthusiasts because it is highly accurate. In fact, some people have called it the most accurate NES emulator around. But is that true?
What is Mesen?
As you have already guessed, Mesen is an NES emulator. It stands out because it supports most licensed NES games, which is incredible. Boasting a variety of attractive features, including an audio equalizer panel and a litany of filters, the emulator allows players to record their gameplay. You can also watch replays.
Written in C++, the emulator has 32 and 64-bit modes. The interface is intuitive and easy to use. It has a function that remembers the last file you loaded. It will display the ROM file with a screenshot, simplifying access to the game.
If you close the emulator without exiting a game, Mesen will create a save-state, preventing players from losing their progress. It should be noted that Mesen does not work on macOS.
Features
- Mesen checks for and automatically downloads updates
- It supports Net Play
- Save States
- Cheat Codes
- You can record gameplay
- Highly accurate
- It has debugging tools
- Compatible with Windows and Linux
How To Install Mesen?
Step 1. Find a resource with a secure download
Step 2. Find a version of Mesen that works on your operating system
Step 3. Download the emulator
Step 4. Extract the zip file
Step 5. Select Mese.exe
This is a standalone program. It doesn’t have an installer. Running the executable file is enough.
Download Mesen Emulator (0.9.9)
Development builds: Windows Linux
- Size: 9.7MB
- Release date: February 1, 2020
- Platform: Windows, Linux
- License: GNU GPLv3
How to Use Mesen?
1. Running the executable file will launch the first-run configuration wizard. It will ask you to select a location where your Mesen files will be stored.
2. The wizard will also ask you to select the controller you want to use.
3. To use the emulator, you must load a game. To load a game, you need the ‘File Open’ command. Select a file whose format is compatible with Mesen.
4. If you already have a loaded game, use the ‘Game’ menu to pause, stop or reset things.
5. If you want to play FDS games, Mesen will ask for a Bios file. Otherwise, the FDS games won’t run.
6. You can use the NSF player to load NSF and NSFe files. Once you load a file, Mesen will alter the appearance of its interface to mimic a media player. You can use the media player to change the volume, pause, fast forward, or select new tracks.
7. If you haven’t loaded a game, the emulator will show the most recent game you played.
Conclusion
The word ‘Mesen’ sounds random but it isn’t. On the one hand, it is a Japanese word. On the other hand, it is the word ‘NES Em’ spelled backward. ‘NES Em’ is short for ‘NES Emulator’. Mesen is a great emulator that was written in C++.
Not only is the program accurate but it can play most of the licensed NES games, which is incredible. Compatible with Windows and Linux, it supports NetPlay, save-states, and cheat codes, to mention but a few.
