I've had this discussion before with people who were blind to the Total Experience. Yes, a game will run exactly* the same in an emulator as it would playing on the actual console device. What (younger) people tend to forget is that handling the game, and using it the way it was intended does play a part in the experience. Sliding that cartridge in the NES, pressing down, closing the door. Pushing the ON button which feels a bit squishy and cheap as if the button is about to fall off (it never does) and then hearing that subtle "PUCK" sound on the TV and seeing the screen jitter for a moment before the logo comes on. It. Matters. The same goes for flipping the Super NES on/off switch on the European version at least. It has that rugged feel to it, like you're about to power up Gotham City. Then the Konami logo comes on... Magical.
Of course this is going to become increasingly difficult to explain to the newer generations who will simply download most of their games off a store and play it on whichever device they please (so there's no specific device attachment anymore) ... no manuals to sniff from on day 1, and browse through the actual TLC-constructed manual... no box to open to get to the game, no tactile response from pushing in cartridges or even CDs :( <nostalgia overdrive bit> and that lovely feeling of pushing in a VHS tape and hearsing the mechanical parts rev up <3 ; becoming a FF/REWing expert to find your favorite song on your cassette tape with almost pinpoint accuracy... Aww yeah... </nostalgia>
* 'Exactly' in neurotypical terms, when using the best emulator for the game at hand
I don't like playing video games on emulators
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I've had this discussion before with people who were blind to the Total Experience. Yes, a game will run exactly* the same in an emulator as it would playing on the actual console device. What (younger) people tend to forget is that handling the game, and using it the way it was intended does play a part in the experience. Sliding that cartridge in the NES, pressing down, closing the door. Pushing the ON button which feels a bit squishy and cheap as if the button is about to fall off (it never does) and then hearing that subtle "PUCK" sound on the TV and seeing the screen jitter for a moment before the logo comes on. It. Matters. The same goes for flipping the Super NES on/off switch on the European version at least. It has that rugged feel to it, like you're about to power up Gotham City. Then the Konami logo comes on... Magical.
Of course this is going to become increasingly difficult to explain to the newer generations who will simply download most of their games off a store and play it on whichever device they please (so there's no specific device attachment anymore) ... no manuals to sniff from on day 1, and browse through the actual TLC-constructed manual... no box to open to get to the game, no tactile response from pushing in cartridges or even CDs :( <nostalgia overdrive bit> and that lovely feeling of pushing in a VHS tape and hearsing the mechanical parts rev up <3 ; becoming a FF/REWing expert to find your favorite song on your cassette tape with almost pinpoint accuracy... Aww yeah... </nostalgia>
* 'Exactly' in neurotypical terms, when using the best emulator for the game at hand