Emulation for those sweet mods.

Authentic hardware is to emulation is what unprotected sex is to using rubber... Feels better.

If the real deal is available, then it's the original hardware, if not, I'm fine with emulators (if they work properly).

Emulator.

Save states
360 controller support
better graphics

Emulators, more options and better performance

The most vocal pro emulation people fall into one of two camps, sometimes both at the same time. Either they're too broke to go on Ebay and actually buy the real games, or they're desperately trying to convince themselves that their stolen "file" is as good as an actual console/cart. Either way, it's really annoying. 

And to all you people talking about save states being a good thing... you do realize that it's cheating, and you're not actually beating anything... right? You might as well just wave the white flag and admit that old games are just too hard for you.

In this day of Virtual Console, XBLA, and other legal, official ROMs, I don't think this statement is actually true.

I meant stolen files... not purchased ones. 

I don't have room for 6-7 consoles under my TV, the two that I have take up all the space along with surround sound and other things like digital decoder and modem and router. The cable sallad alone would be a nightmare.

Besides; finding old consoles and games in working condition is not that easy, I have a NES and a N64, as well as a PS1 and PS2 though.

I'm sorry you're annoyed by us who enjoy emulators for a multitude of reasons.

PS: Saving is cheating? Sure. Many old games weren't actually that hard in and on themselves, they were simply unforgiving, and this added frustration. It annoyed me in the 80's and 90's and still would today. How about letting people play the way they prefer (or are able to) and chill on the terrible attitude towards others?

Edit; about stolen files; I own the games I currently play on emulators, some even in two hard copies (like FFXII).

For me it's a matter of availability. If I can access the game in its original for then that's the version I prefer, but that's just not always possible. So I'll emulate if I need to.

People who use emulators don't bug me. Some people like tacos, some people like hot dogs. It's the snarky, insecure, loud mouthed people that drive me insane. It's like they're trying to convince themselves that what they're doing is right instead of just minding their own business.

And yes, save stats IS cheating. Claiming it's not because you personally get frustrated doesn't make it not cheating. And saying that it's ok because it alleviates said frustration is no different than using a Gameshark back in the day. Those games were coded, designed and shipped the way the developers wanted at the time. Saving anytime you want is going outside the parameters of the game. You're using the 21 century equivalent of a Game Genie.