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Emulation, defined by the all knowing authority, Wikipedia, means "to duplicate the functions of one system using another." However, a better definition would be "I'm playing Mario on my computer." Through virtual hardware, we're granted access to games long past their retail shelf life for either very low prices or even completely free -- although the latter can be questionable both ethically and legally. With this comes the added bonus of being able to experience a title long after it's original cartridges/cabinets fail. In short, emulation is fundamentally necessary for preserving the historical roots of interactive media.

While such a selfless and noble motivation is probably the most important  result of these virtual consoles, it's hardly the driving force for the mass adoption enjoyed by emulation over the last decade. Let's be honest, the real reason is because it's possible to copy every single game ever released prior to disc-based media onto your computer in the amount of time it takes to eat lunch. Not only can you access any of them within thirty seconds, but they can be perfectly upscaled and color calibrated to your shiny new monitor or HDTV. There's no static, dusty pin connectors, color bleed, shelving space, a/v switches or daisy-chained power strips to play all these consoles; and most importantly, there's no scarcity. If you want to play Earthbound and you live in the US, you don't need to shell out 80-100 dollars to get a copy. The storage space required for that particular games takes up less space than most MP3s. Or if you decide to play the unreleased NES predecessor to the cult classic and you don't speak Japanese, emulation provides the opportunity to experience something never offered to previous generations: unofficial translations.

In a way, emulation is the Che Guevara of gaming. When a console manufacturer says "no", the people can rise up and say "yes!" Granted, since this generation has seen copious remakes and rereleases through various official channels, it's also the Che Guevara t-shirt of gaming as well. In the long term though, most seemingly don't care how the revolution got here and where it will go in the future, they just want it to show up in a timely and reasonable manner. But below this display of adoration lurks a fundamental question which has yet to be answered: What's the goal of the revolution is in the first place?