Not heard of this myself bar the fact it works on low powered PCs, heres the release info:

Hardcade v4.0 beta 2 is released. Hardcade is a Frontend multi-arcade emulator for PC with built-in Windows or just Windows PC, it supports the systems of arcade games and game consoles. It allows you to hide windows and have a single interface to play your arcade games and consoles favorites. It is controlled entirely with the joystick or keyboard.

The advantages of Hardcade:
- Less than 4 MB, quick and easy installation. Works 100% fullspeed on PCs with low processor.
- Develop and optimized specifically for each supported emulators!
- Supports emulators that launch from the command line but also those who do not support command line. Supports emulators like bsnes, Snes9x, Project 64, 1964 ...
- Configure and add multiple emulators with the same name in same or different versions: Mame32-62-92 Mame32, Mame32-145.
- Supports all resolutions with the option "Switch to full screen resoHardcade v2.0.0blution" in 15, 24 and 31khz.
- Launch of all emulators full screen (Fullscreen) even emulators that do not launch command line.
- Supports games on vertical screens with two modes of rotation of the frontend to the left or right.
- Supports all systems Arcade Mame, CPS1, CPS2, CPS3, Sega System 16, Sega System 32 and Super Nintendo consoles, Nintendo NES, Nintendo 64, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega 32X, Sega CD.
- Currently supports emulators Mame32, Mame, ADVMAME, WinKawaks, Final Burn Alpha, Raine, Nebula, Nestopia, Virtuanes, 1964 N64, N64 Project 64, Kega Fusion, Gens Sega, Zsnes, bsnes, Snes9x (other emulators will soon supported)
- Configuration of emulators and roms lists very easy.

Hardcade v4.0 beta 2 Changelog:
- Plusieurs bug corrigés dans Hardcade Config.exe lors de la génération des listes de roms
- bug fix dans Hardcade.exe
- Optimisation du code frame 1 et 2 dans Hardcade.exe
- bug fix dans le Layout Editor.exe l'ordre de la snapshot ne changeait pas.

download = http://www.hardcade.net/

news via http://www.emucr.com/2017/12/hardcade-v40-beta-2.html ...

Heres a new version of Wine, personally i do like a full bodied Barolo but also an argentinian malbec , anyway heres the release notes:

Wine v3.0 RC3 is released. Wine is a project to allow a PC running a Unix-like operating system and the X Window System to run x86 programs for Microsoft Windows. Alternately, those wishing to port a Windows application to a Unix-like system can compile it against the Wine libraries.

Wine v3.0 RC3 Changelog:
Bug fixes only, we are in code freeze.

download http://www.winehq.org/

via http://www.emucr.com/2017/12/wine-v30-rc3.html ...

Since ive had a new burst of energy with my website ive also refound my lifelong love for Homebrew and Emulation and one area i do like is the ongoing love for the Nintendo Gamecube, mainly becuase of the Nintendo Wii and Wii U, heres the release notes for this emulator

Snes9xGx v2.0.1b8 is released. Snes9xGx is a snes emulator for GameCube.

Snes9xGx v2.0.1b8 changelog:
* Added: SD slot B options for freezes, sram and loading of roms
* Changed: SMB options no longer displayed in menus when run on a Wii
* Changed: Game auto resumes running after resetting when choosing the "Reset
Game" menu option
* Fixed (maybe): Reading of DVDs past the 1.36 GB barrier (Wii only) please
test! - svpe

download https://github.com/JakobAir/Snes9xGx-2.0.1b8

via http://www.emucr.com/2017/12/snes9xgx-v201b8.html ...

For Nintendo 3DS/2DS owners who have homebrew capabilities, heres a great release of a new NES Emulator for the console, heres the release notes:

VirtuaNES for 3DS v1.01 is released. This is a port of VirtuaNES to 3DS as an alternative to existing NES emulators. It used to be considered one of the best emulators before FCE and Nestopia, and it runs quite fast for lower spec-ed computers (at the cost of some emulation accuracy). But because of that, the Old 3DS / 2DS is able to benefit from this fast running emulator core. This runs full speed on an old 3DS / 2DS with support for tonnes of mappers. Although it doesn't support every single mapper, the library of games that can run on this are probably fairly huge already.

VirtuaNES for 3DS Changelog:
v1.01:
- Fixed cheats (previously cheats couldn't be activated whatever you did)
- Fixed mapper problem in Kabuki Quantum Fighter

v1.00
- Added key mappings to fast forward (capped at 180 FPS), and open the emulator menu.
- Updated configuration menu
- Added feature to auto-save state
- Migrated and fixed some mappers from VirtuaNESEx (thanks to the authors of VirtualNESEx)
- The following mappers are fixed/added: 4, 7, 16, 23, 34, 47, 49, 52, 65, 69, 71, 73, 74, 86, 91, 92, 121, 132, 141, 148, 150, 162, 163, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 189, 190, 194, 198, 199, 212, 235, 237, 240, 241, 252
- Fixed VS mapper for Super Mario Bros
- Added ability to map any 3DS key to insert coin for VS games
- Fixed Lagrange Point VRC7 emulation for the Old 3DS by playing at 20KHz. The old 3DS was too slow to render sounds at 32KHz or even at 22KHz.
- Minor optimizations for sound generation.
- A number of games are fixed due to the mapper updates. Examples are: Crisis Force (Japan), Feng Yun (Ch), San Guo Zhi (Ch), and many others.

download https://github.com/bubble2k16/emus3ds

via https://github.com/bubble2k16/emus3ds ...

The Dos Emulator for Windows has been updated, if you can find the old games, mainly via abandonware sites youll get the chance to play some of the greatest games of all time, heres the release notes:

DOSBox-X (2017/12/22) is released. DOSBox-x is a branch of DOSBox v0.74. DOSBox emulates an Intel x86 PC, complete with sound, graphics, mouse, joystick, modem, etc., necessary for running many old MS-DOS games that simply cannot be run on modern PCs and operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Linux and FreeBSD.

DOSBox-X Changelog:
Directories on the host that contain a file who's name is non-representable in the guest no longer cause directory enumeration to fail entirely, all representable files will show up
SDL 2 builds now use a different filename for the saved mapper file
SDL 2 builds: mapper interface now responds to touchscreen as well as mouse
"Overlay" output removed, there's no point to having it
Added WinPCAP headers, which also enables NE2000 emulation for Windows builds if WinPCAP is installed.

download https://github.com/joncampbell123/dosbox-x

via http://www.emucr.com/2017/12/dosbox-x-20171222.html ...

The Xmas releases are coming, heres a new version of the Virtual Boy Emulator Rustal Boy, heres the release info:

Rustual Boy is a Virtual Boy emulator. It can be used to play existing Virtual Boy games, as well as be a helpful development/debugging tool for homebrew for this platform. The name "Rustual Boy" is a portmanteau of the words "Rust" and "Virtual Boy". Ok, the "Virtual Boy" part was obvious, but why "Rust"? In fact, Rustual Boy is written in the Rust programming language - a "systems programming language that runs blazingly fast, prevents segfaults, and guarantees thread safety." Rust is a wonderful language with a thriving community, and as such provides a fantastic platform for an emulation project!

Rustual Boy v0.2.0a Changlog:




For Windows

https://rustualboy.com

thanks to http://www.emulation64.com/view/2810...020a-released/ for this news: ...

Heres another great release for Snes homebrew fans and rememeber that you can play Snes Homebrew on any Snes Emulator for any system:

Merry Christmas everyone! We here at D-D always try our best to give you a holiday ROM goodie, and this year we even made our Christmas release window! Santa says he hopes you like this little gem just in time for Christmas 2017!
Princess Minerva is a really interesting game. You control a squad of nine female warriors trying to stop a another group of female warriors from turning every young girl in the kingdom into a monster girl. Your party is divided into three sub parties which all fight battles at random. All Nine girls must be used in battle and you can’t control which team gets put into battle except in boss fights. It is a pretty fun and quite silly little turn based RPG that we hope you enjoy.
We highly recommend that you read the readme file as it will inform you about a few bugs to expect to encounter from the original Japanese rom and other things to expect during gameplay.

More info - http://www.dynamic-designs.us/

via http://www.romhacking.net/?page=news&category=3 ...

You cant beat the Xmas season for great Homebrew releases, well heres a translation of a classic Snes game that will get your mouth watering:

Almost 20 years after its original Japanese release, the immediate ancestor to the beloved tactics game Advance Wars is finally playable in English.
Super Famicom Wars was developed by Intelligent Systems, published by Nintendo and first released on May 1 1998. The game was available exclusively via the Nintendo Power rewritable cartridge system, making it one of the hardest Super Famicom titles to obtain.
The game was followed up by two titles for Game Boy Advance then yet another two for Nintendo DS in relatively quick succession. Since then, not much has been heard about the series’ future from either Nintendo or Intelligent Systems. This is a shame, really, since the Wars series’ upbeat take on turn-based military strategy is uniquely charming and accessible. So, in a way, releasing this translation makes a new game in the Wars franchise available to the English speaking world for the first time in almost ten years.

More details http://www.romhacking.net/translations/3354/ ...

The State of PC Gaming in 2017


2017 saw PC gaming become more complicated and multifaceted than ever before, and also served to popularise a genre, battle royale with one of the plainest premises imaginable.


As ever, despite competition from mobile, the PC remains at gaming’s forefront, and whether this is thanks to the platform enjoying the long-time advantage of better hardware, the role it enjoys as a breeding ground for interesting independent games that go on to become hits on multiple platforms, or its continued attempts to solve the logistical problem of, in theory, offering all games ever invented, remains to be seen, but PCs leads so many dances only human centipedes can keep up! You can do absolutely anything on your PC, including enjoying real money entertainment like the online roulette NZ has to offer, so it remains the first choice for players of all types.


The PC is not a Monolith


But, if we are going to discuss PC gaming, we have to bear in mind that it is not a single entity. It is a conglomeration of disparate platforms and many moving pieces, and includes a multiplicity of different programmes: Steam, G2A, and tiny freeware games being just a few examples.


Steam is Ballooning in All Directions


While Valve has not released a precise user count for some years now, it can safely be estimated that the number is still in excess of 100 million. The total amount of games on Steam is astronomical at this point also, and Steam Direct being introduced has only opened the floodgates that much more.


Valve, at least, has made attempts at acknowledging some of the more virulent issues Steam has faced this year. In the first half of 2017, so-called fake-games were addressed by the rules around trading cards changing. This however, let to the rise of trends like achievement-spam games, which gummed up Valve’s algorithm, so hundreds of these have been removed from the service.





Origin is Alive and Kicking


The service provided by Electronic Arts has not changed much in 2017, but big games like Sims 4 and Battlefield 1 are still chugging along, and who could forget the Stars Wars Battlefront II loot box controversy?


Origin keeps giving free games away regularly, as well, which, although cool, remains a bit thin in terms of features. It has long given up the attempt to be a proper competitor for Steam, and functions simply as an EA ecosystem these days.


Less Traditional Games at Itch.io


Putting a handful of exceptions to one side, Steam does not offer an easy ride to smaller games nowadays. Itch.io, only a fraction of a fraction of the size of Steam, however, still makes a point of promoting less traditional games than Steam does, whilst also providing developers with more flexibility in terms of releasing games as they please.


Itch.io upgraded its app this year, as well, and, in a philosophy directly opposing that of Steam’s, became even more focused on curation. It also helped to host the Epistle 3 game jam, which means that it now, albeit unofficially, has more Half-Life games than Steam does. Itch.io, did, however, have to contend with an epidemic of scam games in 2017 too. ...