Looks to be based on GBA4iOS.

  • Gemini24601@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    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.

    • B0rax@feddit.de
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      9 months ago

      Well, why has the dev not submitted the official version? That would have fixed that problem.

      • Jesus@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        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.

        • B0rax@feddit.de
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          9 months ago

          Sure, but then the official one would also be there and hopefully have a better rating and more popularity

          • Jesus@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            Good point.

            That said, the reasons the developer hasn’t released this for the App Store is because he’s a small independent developer and has been trying to ship another project.

        • B0rax@feddit.de
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          9 months ago

          To be honest, I support his own app marketplace completely. But I still don’t understand why he doesn’t want to have it on the Apple AppStore as well.

    • QuarterSwede@lemmy.worldOP
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      9 months ago

      I should’ve clarified, since the Apple announced this week that they would approve emulators this is the first one to be approved.

    • shinratdr@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      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.

  • morganth@discuss.tchncs.de
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    9 months ago

    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.

    • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      You’re only over a decade late to mobile phone emu party, iOS users. Welcome!

      • MrVilliam@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        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.

  • chiisana@lemmy.chiisana.net
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    9 months ago

    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.

    • kautau@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      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

      • cbarrick@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        An emulator, even a paid one, would be totally legal in the US as long as:

        1. 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.

        2. 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.

    • Petter1@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      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.

    • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      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.

    • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      Just download them off ROM sites. Google “download X ROM” where X is the name of the rom. Load it in an emulator. Play.

    • Eggyhead@kbin.run
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      9 months ago

      Well you tried. Try hitting the linux crowd next, they’re a bit more touchy when you try to make stuff up.