Nostlan is an open-source and cross-platform game launcher for various old-school, and more new-age game emulators. It works on Windows, macOS, and most Linux distributions.
How and why Nostlan stands out
Of course, the app’s most iconic feature is its GUI. It features a minimalistic, skeuomorphic UI design designed to be both functional and retro-looking.
Despite its minimalist UI, Nostlan brings a lot to the table feature-wise. For starters, it’s worth noting that it comes with full-out-the-box support for Arcade, DS, GBA, 3DS, PS2, PS3, SNES, Switch, Wii, Wii U, and even Xbox 360.
The list of supported emulators is just as impressive and includes bsnes, Cemu, Citra, Dolphin, DeSmuME, MAME, melonDS, mGBA, PCSX2, RPCS3, Ryujinx, Xenia, and Yuzu.
Has other nice features, too
Navigation through the app can be done with the mouse, keyboard, and even a game controller. Speaking of game controllers, you should also know that most controllers connect to Nostlan automatically, without any need for a prior setup.
Another advantage is just how easy you can install emulators. In short, any emulator can be installed with just a few mouse clicks, an almost fully automated process.
The app is also capable of automatically checking multiple database sites and retrieving the highest quality box art. The games are launched with emulator apps, not cores, and you also get a few interesting customization options (such as the ability to edit the launch commands).
It’s free, but you can also pay for it
The app itself is free and open-source. However, by donating/paying 1$ a month you not only support the project (which, let’s face it, it’s awesome), but you also get access to various premium features such as the ability to backup/to synchronize all your save data to the cloud or any local storage device.
For more information on the project, you can feel free to check out the official GitHub page or the project’s Discord.
Verdict
Any long-time game will probably tell you that no matter how many cool games they’ve played over the years, there’s no way to perfectly recreate that happiness you have while playing games in your childhood.
If you want to bring back some of that special gaming nostalgia in your life, then you might want to check out Nostlan.
