Looks to be based on GBA4iOS.

  • @Gemini24601
    link
    486 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.

    • @QuarterSwedeOP
      link
      36 months ago

      I’m not seeing ads … I do have a network ad blocked though so.

        • @QuarterSwedeOP
          link
          76 months ago

          Not if your network is blocking ads it seems … doesn’t show in gameplay either.

      • @Gemini24601
        link
        46 months ago

        I’ll have to try that, here is mine igba-ads

    • Eggyhead
      link
      fedilink
      226 months ago

      I was about to install the app until I saw that. I’ll just stick to my usual emulation machines for now.

      • @ANIMATEK
        link
        English
        66 months ago

        You know you can block that, right? They just collecting data for advertising.

    • @Cosmos7349
      link
      115 months ago

      Because you can charge more for your shady ads if you also hand over user location data

    • @SulaymanF
      link
      15 months ago

      The App Store page says it but the app hasn’t asked me for it when I opened the app.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          25 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.

      • Jesus
        link
        35 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.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          55 months ago

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

          • Jesus
            link
            25 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.

    • @QuarterSwedeOP
      link
      116 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.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      45 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.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    76 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
      link
      fedilink
      -106 months ago

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

        • yeehaw
          link
          fedilink
          06 months ago

          True, just a pain in the ass compared to android.

      • @MrVilliam
        link
        English
        56 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
    link
    fedilink
    4
    edit-2
    5 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
      link
      19
      edit-2
      6 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
        link
        English
        166 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.

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              15 months ago

              Which is probably not copyrightable. A key is just a number, and copyright only applies to creative works. In a court, Nintendo would have to argue that copyright does apply because the key was created via some artistic or creative process by a human. It likely is just the output of a random number generator. Also, we’ve already been through this when people figure out how to decrypt DVDs.

    • @SulaymanF
      link
      25 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.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      2
      edit-2
      5 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.

  • @Nogami
    link
    35 months ago

    And it’s gone.

    • @MrVilliam
      link
      English
      36 months ago

      I’m totally ignorant to the love that PSP got. What games are worth throwing on my steam deck?

    • yeehaw
      link
      fedilink
      2
      edit-2
      6 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
      link
      fedilink
      25 months ago

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