Best Games to Play on R36S: Top Picks for Every System

Game Boy Advance — Best GBA Games for R36S

GBA emulation on the R36S is essentially perfect. Every game runs at full speed with no configuration required. The 3.5-inch screen is larger than the original GBA, making classic games look fantastic. GBA is arguably the best system to play on the R36S.

Essential GBA Titles

• Pokémon FireRed / LeafGreen / Emerald — The definitive Pokémon experience on GBA. All three run perfectly and offer dozens of hours of content.
• The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap — One of the best Zelda games, exclusive to GBA. Runs at a locked 60fps with beautiful sprite art.
• Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow / Harmony of Dissonance — Two of the finest action-RPGs on the platform. Both run flawlessly.
• Final Fantasy VI Advance — The best version of FF6 includes new content and a rebalanced magic system.
• Fire Emblem (all three GBA entries) — Tactical RPG classics. Long play sessions are comfortable on the R36S's larger screen.
• Metroid: Zero Mission / Fusion — Essential Metroidvania experiences. Both are short enough to complete in a weekend.
• Golden Sun 1 & 2 — Massive, beautiful RPGs that push the GBA hardware. Perfect on R36S.
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 — Surprisingly great GBA port. Perfect for short play sessions.

Super Nintendo — Best SNES Games for R36S

SNES emulation is another area where the R36S excels. SA-1 titles such as Kirby Super Star and Super Mario RPG run without any special handling. SuperFX games are a different case: they run at the pace the chip set in 1993, since Star Fox's timing is bound to a 10.7 MHz co-processor rather than to the console. That is authentic rather than broken — our SNES settings guide explains why raising the overclock speeds the whole game up, not just the framerate.

Essential SNES Titles

• Super Metroid — One of the greatest games ever made. The atmospheric exploration holds up perfectly on a handheld.
• Chrono Trigger — Widely considered the finest JRPG ever. The SNES version has the most authentic soundtrack.
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past — The definitive 2D Zelda. Short enough to replay repeatedly.
• Final Fantasy VI — The SNES original with the best soundtrack version. An essential RPG.
• Super Mario World — Timeless platformer. Great for quick play sessions.
• Donkey Kong Country 1, 2 & 3 — Pre-rendered graphics still impress. DKC2 is one of the best platformers ever made.
• Mega Man X 1–3 — Perfect action-platformers for the R36S's d-pad and buttons.
• Earthbound (Mother 2) — Unique, emotional RPG. A must-play for any fan of the genre.

PlayStation 1 — Best PS1 Games for R36S

PS1 is where the R36S really shines as a handheld. The library is massive, disc-based games load quickly from CHD or PBP format, and most titles run at full speed with the PCSX ReARMed core. For setup details, see the PS1 optimization guide.

Essential PS1 Titles

• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night — One of the greatest games ever made. 2D gameplay runs perfectly with enhanced resolution in DuckStation.
• Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX — The classic FF trilogy. Multi-disc games are best played in PBP format for seamless disc swapping.
• Metal Gear Solid — Cinematic stealth action that holds up remarkably well. Runs at full speed.
• Crash Bandicoot 1, 2 & Warped — The original trilogy. All three run perfectly.
• Spyro the Dragon trilogy — Colorful 3D platformers. Great for shorter play sessions.
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 — Essential skating games. Runs well on PCSX ReARMed.
• Resident Evil 1, 2 & 3 — Classic survival horror. Pre-rendered backgrounds mean excellent performance.
• Chrono Cross — Beautiful RPG sequel to Chrono Trigger. Disc 2 switching is seamless in PBP format.
• Vagrant Story — Deep action-RPG with incredible atmosphere. One of the most underrated PS1 games.
• Tactics Ogre / Final Fantasy Tactics — Strategic RPGs. Not demanding; perfect for long commutes.

Nintendo 64 — Best N64 Games for R36S

N64 emulation on the R36S is good but less consistent than the other systems. Most 2D-style N64 games and many 3D titles run well, but demanding 3D games may drop frames. Use the Mupen64Plus-Next core for best results.

N64 Games That Run Well on R36S

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — Runs at a mostly stable 20–30fps (the original N64 framerate). Playable and iconic.
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask — Similar performance to Ocarina. Both are playable with the right settings.
• Super Mario 64 — Runs very well at full speed. One of the best N64 games on R36S.
• Paper Mario — Light 3D with flat characters; runs well on R36S.
• Pokémon Snap — Simple on-rails game with light 3D. Excellent performance.
• Mario Kart 64 — Great for short sessions. Runs at acceptable speeds.
• GoldenEye 007 — Performance is limited (like the original N64), but playable for nostalgia.
• Banjo-Kazooie / Tooie — Runs at variable framerates; playable but not perfect.

Game Boy / Game Boy Color — Underrated Classics

The original Game Boy and Game Boy Color libraries are huge and often overlooked. The R36S handles both perfectly, and the larger screen makes tiny GB sprites much more comfortable to see.

Must-Play GB and GBC Games

• Pokémon Red / Blue / Yellow — The originals. Use the Super Game Boy color palette in the Gambatte core for color.
• Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal — GBC masterpieces with a huge 16-region world. Crystal is the definitive version.
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX — One of the best Zelda games. The DX color version adds a photograph dungeon.
• Tetris (Game Boy) — The definitive version of Tetris. Perfect for any commute.
• Kirby's Dream Land 1 & 2 — Short but charming platformers. Great for younger players.
• Mega Man 1–5 (GB) — Unique GB Mega Man games with crossover storylines.
• Dragon Warrior Monsters 1 & 2 — Monster-collecting RPGs predating Pokémon's monster-breeding concept.

Sega Genesis / Mega Drive — Classic 16-Bit Action

Sega Genesis emulation is perfect on the R36S — every game runs at full speed. The Genesis library is huge and full of underrated gems alongside the big names. The R36S's d-pad is well-suited to Genesis-era action games. Our Genesis guide covers core choice, the PAL ROMs that run 17% slower, and Sega CD.

Essential Sega Genesis Titles

• Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2 & 3 — The originals, running at locked 60fps. Perfect for speed-running fans.
• Streets of Rage 2 & 3 — Among the best beat-em-ups ever made. Streets of Rage 2 is a masterpiece of the genre.
• Gunstar Heroes — Treasure's run-and-gun classic. High-speed action that the R36S handles effortlessly.
• Phantasy Star IV — One of the finest RPGs of the 16-bit era. Often overlooked in favor of SNES RPGs.
• Castlevania: Bloodlines — A Sega Genesis exclusive in the series. Runs flawlessly.
• Comix Zone — Unique comic-book brawler with hand-drawn art. A Genesis showcase title.
• Shinobi III — Classic ninja action-platformer. One of the best games on the platform.
• Herzog Zwei — An early real-time strategy game on console, surprisingly playable with the R36S controls.

Arcade (MAME / CPS1 / CPS2) — Perfect Arcade Emulation

The R36S handles 2D arcade boards superbly — the limit is 2D versus 3D, not the year, so CPS2 games from the late 1990s are as comfortable as anything from the 1980s. Capcom's CPS1 and CPS2 systems run perfectly, as do Neo Geo MVS games. If you love fighting games or beat-em-ups, the arcade library is a goldmine. Getting it running is a different skill from getting it to perform — our arcade and MAME guide covers romsets, cores and why games refuse to load.

Essential Arcade Titles

• Street Fighter II (CPS1/CPS2 variants) — All versions run at full speed. The definitive version of the iconic fighter.
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo (CPS2) — The competitive standard. Perfect on R36S.
• Final Fight 1, 2 & 3 (CPS1) — Classic side-scrolling beat-em-up. All three run flawlessly.
• Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara (CPS2) — One of the best co-op arcade games ever. Runs perfectly.
• Metal Slug 1–5 (Neo Geo) — The definitive run-and-gun series. All titles run at full speed on R36S.
• King of Fighters '98 (Neo Geo) — The tournament standard for KOF. Perfect performance.
• Samurai Shodown II (Neo Geo) — Atmospheric weapon-based fighter with beautiful sprites.
• Pac-Man, Galaga, Dig Dug (MAME) — Timeless classics from the early 80s. All run perfectly.

Performance Summary by System

Use this table as a quick reference when deciding what to add to your SD card: