Stella

Stella, a remarkable emulator, brings the classic Atari 2600 games back to life. The latest version, 10.0.6, enhances the gaming experience by adding support for EEPROM emulation for AtariVox and SaveKey controllers, along with FLASH support in various cartridge schemes. It's an ideal choice for those nostalgic about Atari games and is conveniently available for free download.

Developed by Bradford W. Mott, Stephen Anthony, and The Stella Team, Stella offers a versatile platform to play Atari 2600 games using your computer's keyboard, joysticks, or mouse to emulate the original joystick controllers. The download file names include Stella.exe, Atari!.exe, STELLA8r.exe, STELLA8rt.exe, and STELLA8_1.exe, making it easy to identify and install.

The latest version of Stella, 10.0.6, stands out with its compatibility across a broad range of operating systems, including Windows XP, XP Professional, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and 11. This ensures that users across different platforms can seamlessly enjoy their favorite Atari 2600 games. Additionally, previous versions like 10.0, 9.1, and 9.0 are also available for those who might prefer an older iteration.

In the Games category, Stella falls under the Utilities subcategory. This categorization highlights its role as a support tool for enhancing the gaming experience, rather than being a standalone game. Gamers who seek to relive the golden era of Atari will find Stella to be an indispensable utility.

Pros:

• Wide range of supported OS, ensuring accessibility for many users.
• Free to download and use, providing excellent value.
• Advanced features like EEPROM and FLASH support enhance gameplay.

Cons:

• May require some technical know-how to configure correctly.
• Limited to Atari 2600 games, which may not appeal to all modern gamers.

Overall, Stella is a brilliant choice for anyone wanting to dive back into the retro world of Atari 2600 games, backed by comprehensive support and thoughtful development.

It is not possible to confirm if there is a free download for this software available on the developer's website. According to the results of the Google Safe Browsing check, the developer's site is safe. Despite this, we recommend checking the downloaded files with any free antivirus software.

You may want to check out more software, such as Stellar Toolkit for Outlook, Stellar Data Recovery for Tape or Stellar Data Recovery Premium, which might be related to Stella.