The internet is littered with ROM sites, many of which are dangerous or defunct. Following the massive crackdowns by Nintendo on sites like EmuParadise and LoveROMs , the landscape has become a minefield of broken links. has survived by emphasizing three key pillars:

If you care about security and legality, avoid it. Use legal alternatives like:

The Ultimate Guide to ROMs Pedia: Your Gateway to Retro Gaming

Not recommended for use. Users seeking retro gaming should explore official re-releases, open-source clones, or legally purchased used physical media. If the goal is preservation, supporting legal digital archives (e.g., The Video Game History Foundation) is more effective.

However, the preservationist argument grows stronger each day. When Nintendo’s official eShop for the Wii U and 3DS shut down, hundreds of digital-only titles became unplayable on official hardware. ROM sites are often the only libraries where these digital artifacts survive.