10mo ago

First game emulator to be approved in the AppStore - iGBA

apps.apple.com ‎iGBA: GBA & GBC Retro Emulator

‎iGBA: GBA & GBC Retro Emulator stands as a remarkable, lightweight retro emulator tailored to transport you back to the golden era of gaming with the legendary Game Boy family. This emulator is a virtual gem that allows you to relive your cherished childhood moments with classic Game Boy, Game Boy ...

Looks to be based on GBA4iOS.

51 comments

Interesting for sure, but it looks like an ad-ridden clone of GBA4iOS, so I may just stick with sideloaded Ignited for now. In my opinion though, this is a big step, as others are probably soon to follow with possibly better ones.
- I’m not seeing ads … I do have a network ad blocked though so.
  
  The app has an ad bar at the bottom.
  
  I’ll have to try that, here is mine

Why does it need my location?
- I was about to install the app until I saw that. I’ll just stick to my usual emulation machines for now.
  
  You know you can block that, right? They just collecting data for advertising.
- Because you can charge more for your shady ads if you also hand over user location data
- You know that eye from lord of the rings?
  
  iSeeU
  
  Yeah, not sure how it relates to this app wanting my location
- So Nintendo can find you later.
- The App Store page says it but the app hasn’t asked me for it when I opened the app.

According to one of the the GBA4iOS devs, this is not official https://mastodon.social/@rileytestut/112268412745806214
Please proceed with caution if you choose to use this
- Well, why has the dev not submitted the official version? That would have fixed that problem.
  
  He wants to release it in his own app marketplace
  
  Would it? This would’ve been released with a different name. App Store, Play Store, or no store, people love to take OSS projects, wrap them in ads, and release them to make a buck.
  
  Isn't Delta the successor to it? That recently did come out.
  https://apps.apple.com/us/app/delta-game-emulator/id1048524688

ScummVM has an iOS app
- I should’ve clarified, since the Apple announced this week that they would approve emulators this is the first one to be approved.
- ScummVM is not an emulator. It’s a reimplementation of game engines, but nothing is being emulated. It appeared in the App Store before this rule change.

Just tried it, with a GBA Castlevania game (of course) and it handles beautifully. If this the future of AppStore allowed emulation, I’m a fan.
- You're only over a decade late to mobile phone emu party, iOS users. Welcome!
  
  Emulators for iOS have existed for years though, just not in the App Store.
  
  Breh we been side loading the coolaid for years.
  
  My first smart phone over ten years ago had a keyboard. I beat the NES Legend of Zelda on that beast. So much easier with actual buttons haha.

Sketchy as heck but it works.
- @Ankkuli @QuarterSwede sketchier than you might think. https://mastodon.social/@rileytestut/112268412745806214

I’d imagine it is just a matter of time before Nintendo sends Apple a C&D, before this gets taken down?
Edit: Welp, that didn’t take long. Hopefully anyone who cares got a copy on their phone and don’t change phones for the foreseeable future.
- As long as it doesn’t include a bios file, and is completely free (including no in app purchases), I doubt it. Emulators like igba are all over the Google play store, Nintendo only shows its fangs when they try to make money or contain proprietary code.
  And actually, looking at it
  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fastemulator.gba&hl=en_US
  There are paid android emulators on google play, so if Nintendo hasn’t already taken them down, I can’t see them doing that here
  
  An emulator, even a paid one, would be totally legal in the US as long as:
  It does not use any patented technologies. I'm not sure if Nintendo has any patents in the emulation space, but regardless the GBA is so simple that it wouldn't require patented techniques to emulate.
  It does not contain any proprietary (copyrighted) code. On more modern consoles, this would include the BIOS or Firmware files. Does the GBA even need something like that?
  Number 1 is a non-issue for a GBA emulator. Number 2 is more tricky, but it's always possible to reverse engineer and reimplement the firmware. That's protected by the Compaq v. IBM case.
  The recent drama with the Switch emulator is that they violated the second principle.
- It was not taken down because of Nintendo, xD, the emulator was a copy of GBA4iOS and did not mention that it is based on GBA4iOS.
- That was Apple’s fear.
  But this app has no ROMs and the search page only takes you to a public domain homebrew ROM page. You can add and run your own ROMs but they don’t even mention it for fear of crossing Apple or Nintendo.

Time for PPSSPP!
- I'm totally ignorant to the love that PSP got. What games are worth throwing on my steam deck?
  
  I’ve never played it but I hear the god of war version psp got was good.
  
  My default go to: Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions.