Since 1996, the Pokémon franchise has become a worldwide sensation, having produced several anime show series, video games for consoles, and merchandise. Thanks to the invention of emulators, you can also download and play the best Pokémon games on your Android phones and tablets for free. Let us dive into the list of the most suitable Pokémon emulators for your device and learn their compatibility and features.
15 Best Pokémon Emulators for Android
Pokémon is one of the most cherished entertainment assets of all time. People have been going gaga ever since its inception. So, if you are a seasoned gamer or a newbie who wants to begin his journey, this article will help you find the best Pokémon emulator for Android. Let’s begin!
nds4droid
The first option on our list is nds4droid, a free Nintendo DS emulator. Although it is still in its developing stage and needs a lot of work to be done, you can find plenty of features that will assist you in gaming. It works on your Android smartphone seamlessly and is available on Play Store for download. More features include:
- An open-source emulator
- Supports Nintendo DS games, such as Mario Kart and Pokémon
- Offers on-screen controls and hardware controllers
- Includes full-screen mode and can change the screen size/layout
- Features frame skipping and state saving
- Configurable emulation speed and cheat options
M64Plus FZ Emulator
Next on our list is M64Plus FZ Emulator. On this one, most games work including all classic Pokémon games. It does, however, involve some exploration to find video plugins for the games that actually work. It is one of the most popular Pokémon emulators to download for Android and includes several features to improve the gaming experience. It is one of the few emulators that still receives updates on a regular basis. Furthermore, it offers:
- High-resolution textures
- Difficult for beginners
- Custom controller mappings
- Ability to save and load game states
- Supports a wide range of games
- Emulator features various plugins
- Few ads
- Compatible with the latest Android 13 and other older versions
- Supports NetPlay server only in the Pro version
RetroArch
RetroArch is another Pokémon emulator that runs on all operating systems, including Linux and Android. This multi-platform compatibility happens due to the Libertro interface and makes it one of the best emulators for Android. In addition to console games and non-Nintendo systems, its Android version supports titles for the Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and original Game Boy. However, you will have to download the ROM for each emulator. Moreover, after you download this Pokémon emulator for free on your Android device, you can also experience the following features:
- Open-source project
- Extensive collection of apps
- Download cores online
- Shader support to improve game visuals
- NetPlay for online gaming
- Save states for a quick resumption of game progress
- Support for gamepads and controllers
- Integrated media player for video and audio files
- Fewer ads
- Multilanguage support
- Ability to use cheat codes
Drastic DS Emulator
With DraStic, you can enhance the graphics of the game you are playing. This emulator lets you enhance your game’s graphics for a more immersive experience. All the features found in the other emulators on this list, including support for external controllers, are also present in this one. Most Android devices can run DraStic DS, but more premium smartphones and tablets perform better. It comes with hundreds of pre-loaded cheats and lets you back up saved game data directly to your Google Drive Cloud. Besides that, it features:
- Supports a wide range of games
- Offers customization options
- A fast-forward feature
- Multiple save slots
- Support for gamepads and controllers
- Shader effects and high-resolution rendering
- Use Google Drive to save
My Boy! – GBA Emulator
My Boy! – GBA Emulator is the most popular and widely used emulator on Google Play Store. While this Pokémon emulator is more suitable for beginners, experts can choose the paid one to take advantage of all features and premium settings. It has a simple and clean user interface that is well-designed. More features include:
- Integrates seamlessly with the latest Android
- Quick emulation speed
- Excellent game compatibility
- Support for external controllers
- Cool filters
- Create and change screen layout and key-mapping profiles
- Supports fast forward to skip cut-scenes
- Saves are synced with Google Drive
- On-screen keypad
John GBA Lite
John GBA Lite is a popular emulator app for Android devices developed by John Emulators. You can play your favorite Pokémon games on mobile devices by emulating the hardware of the original console. It has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to use. However, it’s important to note that you must download ROMs for games you want to play on this emulator. There is also John GBA which is a paid version with more added features. Additionally, this best Pokémon emulator for Android provides:
- Original GBA engine
- Cheats (Raw/GameShark/CodeBreaker)
- High-quality graphics rendering
- On-screen keypad
- Zipped file support
- Fast forward and slow down
- Supports a wide range of ROM formats
- Save and load the game state
- Supports fast-forwarding
- User-friendly interface
- Bluetooth/MOGA controller compatibility
EmuBox
EmuBox is a popular Android Pokémon emulator that scans your old game files after free download so you can play them on your device easily. It is packed with numerous features which help the emulator in working with a variety of game systems, including the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, PlayStation, and others. Each ROM in this emulator supports up to 20 save slots which is a lot. You can just save your game at every checkpoint you want without worrying about running out of saving slots. More features include:
- Supports cheat codes
- Gamepad support and customizable on-screen controls
- Multiple game file format support
- Features Turbo buttons
- PSX emulator
- Multilanguage support
- Features ads
Lemuroid
You can simulate vintage game consoles like the Nintendo DS using the Lemuroid emulator and play Pokémon. This open-source option can be your best Pokémon emulator for Android. Moreover, Lemuroid contains many features, including support for many gaming platforms, giving it extra brownie points. Also, this free app has some modern features like cloud storage synchronization. Other features are:
- Supports a wide range of gaming consoles and platforms, including Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), PlayStation 1
- Does not feature ads
- Clean and user-friendly interface
- Customization options for graphics, audio, and controls
- Quick save with slots
- Supports zipped ROMs
- Features cloud save sync
- Bluetooth/MOGA controller compatibility
- Lightweight and optimized for the best performance on Android
Dolphin Emulator
Dolphin Emulator is yet another Pokémon emulator for Android with free download. It has a ton of customizable options. Moreover, running your favorite Pokémon games on this emulator will be a piece of cake because all you need is the ROM file. The main downside is that Dolphin has a rather powerful setup, so you’ll need a high-end smartphone in your pocket to be able to run the emulator smoothly. Furthermore, it offers:
- Supports a wide variety of games
- It does not come with games
- Upscale graphics to high-definition resolutions
- Save and restart game progress at any moment
- NetPlay support
- Customization options for graphics, audio, and controls
- Gamepad and external controller support
- Advanced features like anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering to further improve graphics quality
Citra Emulator
For gamers who wish to run 4K Pokémon games, Citra is an excellent alternative to the other emulators. Fans are drawn to Citra not just because of the higher quality but also because of the multiplayer functionality. Playing classic video games with your mates has never been simpler with Citra’s slick user interface and sophisticated system configuration. Dark themes and more texture filtering settings are available as part of Citra’s Premium in-app purchase. More features include:
- Compatible with numerous games
- Improved graphical features like texture filtering and resolution scaling
- Offers motion controls, a microphone, and a camera
- Save and restore game states
- Multiplayer support to play with your friends and other people
- Good optimization for better performance on Android
- Gamepad and controller support
My OldBoy!
With the help of My OldBoy!, you can play your favorite Pokémon emulator download games on Android devices. It accurately replicates almost all of the original hardware’s distinctive characteristics. The emulator has a save state system that lets you save your progress at any time and resume playing immediately, in addition to simulating the hardware.
Moreover, it allows you to fast-forward through gameplay so you can get to the sections of the game you’re most interested in right away. ARM assembly code provides the fastest emulation. Even very low-end devices get 60 FPS without frame skips. Other interesting highlights of this game are:
- Excellent game compatibility
- Link cable emulation between devices using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
- Emulation of the Game Boy Camera and Printer
- Provide support for fast forward
- GLSL shaders can be used to support cool video filters
- Take screenshots to save games at any moment
- Provides support for external controllers
- Good user interface design
One Emulator
An all-in-one open-source emulator for NDS and various other game consoles, One Emulator. It is a fast emulator that doesn’t consume much battery while you enjoy your favorite game. Moreover, it includes the majority of console options you could possibly desire. One Emulator works with a range of devices, including smartphones and televisions, and offers the finest Android user experience. Downloading and using this emulator is 100% free and without any ads too. Let us see what it has more to offer:
- Automated game state saving and restoring
- Fastest emulation for preserving battery life
- High game compatibility and minimal issues
- Linking with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to emulate any game
- High-level BIOS emulation without the requirement for a BIOS file
- Options for sped-up and slowed-down gameplay
- Keypad on screen and load/save shortcut buttons
- An effective screen layout editor
- Support for external controllers
GENPlusDroid
A GENPlus-based open-source Sega Genesis emulator, also known as GENPlusDroid, is available for Android devices. You may play some of the best games thanks to this potent emulator. If you have a Bluetooth controller, you can use it to play as well. Apart from this, it also offers real-time gameplay. In addition, it incorporates:
- Compatibility with the majority of games
- Adjustable graphical settings, control choices, and screen layout
- Exceptional visuals with several rendering choices
- Speedy performance and battery-saving features
- One tap to save and load the game progress
- Support for external controllers
- Cheat code assistance
- Ad-free
- Autosave function
- Wi-Fi or Bluetooth multiplayer support
- Supports game files in compressed file formats (ZIP, RAR)
- The capacity to transform physical buttons into on-screen controls
- Support for multiple languages
Fast DS Emulator
Fast DS Emulator for Android offers speedy gameplay and superb graphics. With this emulator, you can play several well-known classic games including Pokémon. The best part is that it supports a number of file types, including .nds and .zip, and offers various additional features. Fast DS Emulator, despite being created for Android 6.0 Marshmallow, functions on many smartphones running Android 4.2 Jellybean and higher.
- Compatible with the majority of well-known game titles
- The layout of the screen, control choices, and visual settings are all fully customizable
- Quick and gives a seamless gaming experience
- State saving and loading
- Support for external controllers for improved gaming
- Includes autosave, which will save your game progress if the app closes suddenly
- Multi-player capability
- Support for external controllers
SuperNDS
Well, we are ending our list with one of the newest in the growing list of emulators, SuperNDS. It works well on more modern Android devices, offering rapid gaming, excellent rendering, and usually good graphics. This emulator for Android has most of the features you’d want in a Pokémon emulator, but it needs a ROM to play games. It is compatible with all Android versions starting with 5.0 Lollipop and higher, however, it requires considerable RAM to run. Besides that, it features:
- Graphics customization options
- Multi-language support
- Ad free
- Supports both portrait and landscape orientations
- Modify controls to fit your playing preferences
- You can utilize cheat codes in some video games
- At any point during the game, you can save and load your progress
- various file types, such as.nds,.zip, and .rar, are supported
- Features for quick saving and quick load are supported
- Bluetooth or USB can be used to connect external controllers
These emulators are great for those who especially want to play their favorite Pokémon games. With their help, you can easily access games on other platforms from the comfort of your Android device. Moreover, their variety of features and smooth performance give you a seamless experience.
The best two emulators according to our research are the M64Plus FZ Emulator and My Boy! – GBA Emulator. Nonetheless, you can choose any other from the list based on your preferences. We hope you found your best Pokémon emulator for Android with the help of this article for free and downloaded it on your device. If you have any queries or suggestions, you can leave them in the comment section below.
