Thanks to recent changes to the Apple App Store, a new type of app has arrived, never before seen on the iPhone: a game emulator. On April 5, Apple made changes to the App Store guidelines. While some of these changes only affected users in the EU ( full details here ), the update allowing game emulator apps is rolling out worldwide.
New iGBA app.
Well, just a few days later, emulator apps appear in the App Store. One such application is iGBA, which allows users to play Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color games on an iPhone or iPad. That was quick. There will undoubtedly be more emulator apps in quick succession—this is a big change for the iPhone.
Two weeks ago, this app would not have been accepted into the App Store.
This emulator is intended to simulate Nintendo devices and means that if you have a ROM file for a Game Boy Advance or Game Boy Color game, you can open it in the iGBA and start playing.
Let’s be clear, to avoid legal trouble you should own a copy of the game in question and not just download ROMs from the internet, although those are widely available. Local laws vary, so check before you run the risk of breaking the law. As Tech Radar points out: “One caveat though: in most parts of the world, the only way to legally use these emulators is to copy the code from the original discs or cartridges you’ve already paid for – otherwise you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law.
In practice, the application works well. I’ve been playing Super Mario World, a game I’ve owned for decades, on my iPhone and iPad. It plays in the top half of the iPhone screen. You can also turn the iPhone into landscape orientation for a larger-screen experience (although the covered joypad and buttons are a bit of a nuisance), and gaming on the iPad is easier, though it certainly exposes the limitations of the retro graphics. .
Since the iGBA arrived just days after the rules changed, it’s possible we’ll see a glut of emulator apps in the near future.
However, the situation becomes more complex and there is a wait. According to The Verge, “it doesn’t appear that the iGBA is developer Mattia La Spina’s own work. In the email sent The Verge, developer Riley Testut said the app is an unauthorized clone of GBA4iOS, an open source emulator he created for iOS over a decade ago… He said his app uses the GNU GPLv2 license. A Mastodon user discovered that the iGBA does not mention the license, which may violate its terms. Even so, he says he’s frustrated with Apple, not La Spina.”
Testut says he plans to launch his own Delta app soon. The Verge continues: “When reached for comment, La Spina did not explicitly confirm the use of Testuto’s code, but did say The Verge they “didn’t think the app would get such a response, I’m really sorry,” and added that they contacted Testut via email. It is worth noting that iGBA collects data such as location data and identifiers. As such, it might be worth waiting for Delta to hit the App Store.