Bimmy, an NES emulator for the iPhone, joined the App Store on Tuesday. It was the first retro game emulator approved by Apple and proof that the company has really removed the restrictions on this type of software.
However, the developer quickly removed the app “out of fear”. More will likely follow, including Game Boy emulators, though.
Bimmy was actually a NES game emulator for the iPhone
For years, Apple banned developers from listing retro game emulators for download on the iPhone App Store. He actively removed all such that slipped through the review process.
But in early April, the company updated its App Store guidelines to allow this type of software. It was part of Apple’s relaxation of previous rules that prohibited developers from creating iOS apps that are collections of widgets.
AND Bimmy – NES emulator was apparently the first application to benefit from the change. The developer, Tom Salvo, called it, “A simple emulator to help develop and test native games. Play public domain ROMs and test your own creations!”
The emulator was able to play games first created for the Nintendo Entertainment System which launched in the United States in 1985 after it was originally introduced in Japan as the Famicom. It was the debut of so many greats, incl Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Metroid.
And it’s already gone
Bimmy was only available for a few hours, which was enough time to generate a lot of attention. There is a lot of interest in retro game emulators for iPhone. But then the developer pulled it from the App Store.
“I’m so sorry to everyone. I removed the app out of fear. No one came to me and pressured me to remove it. But I’d rather not risk it,” Salvo said in a post on MacRumors forums.
He wasn’t specific, but despite Salvo mentioning “public domain ROMs”, it’s probably the most likely Bimmy users would play many NES ROMs originally made for Nintendo’s console that are now easily available for download online. This is software piracy and Salvo was probably nervous about making an app that would be included. He could have incurred the wrath of Nintendo and its many lawyers.
This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Apple previously blocked retro game emulators from the iPhone App Store.
More retro game emulators on the way. Could be?
Apple’s recent decision to unblock this type of app means that there will likely be more retro game emulators on the App Store soon.
However, the category got off to a rough start. Technically, the first of these to be approved was a Game Boy emulator, but it was quickly removed due to copyright infringement and spam.