Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Play GameCube and Wii games on your Android device with Dolphin
- The Dolphin Android emulator lets you play GameCube and Wii games on your Android device.
- After a two-years-long hiatus, the Dolphin emulator is back on the Google Play Store.
- While it’s still in beta, the Dolphin team is committing to monthly updates of the Android version.
Although other emulators for the GameCube/Wii exist, the de facto program for playing old Nintendo console games is Dolphin. Pretty much every popular game for the two consoles is playable on Dolphin on PC, and you can even hook up your Wiimotes to preserve that classic feel.
The Dolphin emulator has had an Android version since 2013, but for the past two years, you’ve had to sideload the APK via Dolphin’s website. Now the emulator is back on the Google Play Store for the low, low price of absolutely free.
The Dolphin team celebrated the re-release with a tweet (and a little dig at n00bs):
After a 2 years break, Dolphin for Android is back on the Play Store! From now on, our beta versions will be updated there every month (synced with our monthly Progress Reports).Give it a try at https://t.co/MNlT39Fc2r(No, your potato phone still won’t run games at 60FPS.)— Dolphin Emulator (@Dolphin_Emu) August 3, 2018
Keep in mind that Dolphin for Android is still in beta, unlike its Windows and Mac counterparts which have stable releases. However, it’s worth giving a shot if you’re a big fan of older games like Super Mario Sunshine, Resident Evil 4, or Super Smash Bros. Melee.
If you are still hesitant to give it a shot because of its beta status, the Dolphin team committed to monthly updates to the Android edition. If you give it a shot and don’t like it, you’ll only have to wait a maximum of 30 days before what you don’t like might be fixed.
As with most emulators, Dolphin doesn’t come with any games to play. To stay legal, you will have to rip the games you own to ISO files to play them with Dolphin. There are other much-less-legal ways to get games, but we’re obviously not allowed to talk about that.
Click below to give Dolphin a try!