How To: Play Game Boy Advance (GBA) Games on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

If you have a load of dusty Game Boy Advance games you've been itching to play, load them onto your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for instant gaming anywhere—anytime!

Even if you already have a Nintendo GBA, it's convenient to have them on your smartphone so they're always with you, and it's a great way to kill time during long trips or breaks during the workday.

With the help of an emulator, you can play all of your favorite GBA games on your Android device without a problem, but you'll also need the ROM files of the games.

Step 1: Download a GBA Game ROM

While it's possible to convert your GBA games into a ROM, it takes certain tools that not everyone has. A much easier alternative is to download the ROMs for the games you already own (a quick Google search should help you out there). ROMs come in .zip files, which can take a few minutes to download depending on the size.

I downloaded Pokémon Emerald, which I own for the Game Boy Advance. If you don't want to download it from a computer like I did, you can download it directly onto your device, but it might take longer. If this is the case, skip to Step 3.

Step 2: Place the ROM on Your Phone's SD Card

The next thing you'll want to do is transfer the ROM you just download onto the SD card of your Note 2. Simply drag it over and make sure to keep it as is. Don't unzip the file for any reason.

Step 3: Download My Boy! Free GBA Emulator

Since you need an emulator to play the ROM, download My Boy! Free - GBA Emulator from Google Play. It's one of the best emulators out there and is, as the name suggests, free.

Step 4: Load Up the ROM

Once you open My Boy!, you'll be prompted to choose a file to load from your SD card. Scroll down until you find your .zip file, in my case Pokemon Emerald.zip.

Step 5: Play!

Once you select your file, the game should boot up and be ready to go in no time. The controls on the emulator are fantastic, feel great and are sensitive enough to work almost as well as the real thing. With some emulators, the response on the controls is late, but not with this one.

The free version of this emulator doesn't have a built-in save function, but if the game you're playing has saving capabilities, you can save directly in the game.

If you want to play another game, simply tap on the Menu button on your Note 2, tap on Link and press Browse. You can also switch games that you've already played and change settings such as video, audio, and controls.

For additional features including save (to the emulator), fast forward, and tilt sensors, you can download the download the pro version from the Play Store for $4.99.