Nintendo takes down GBA emulator for iOS GBA4iOS

Those of you who got the GBA4iOS app before today can be considered lucky, because Nintendo sent a DMCA takedown notice to the creator of the software, Riley Testut. He revealed on his Twitter account that the company is threatening with legal action if he doesn’t take it down, so the app seems to be gone for now. For those of you who didn’t know what it was, here’s a rundown:

GBA4iOS is an emulator that runs Game Boy Advance games on… you guessed it, iOS. The app was not available on the App Store, but it could be downloaded directly to any iPhone via a website. Once installed, you could either play GBA Roms from online sources, or you could just upload your own via Dropbox. The app was very good in terms of functionality and it offered a great interface and a good range of options for those interested in customizing their experience. It went as far as supporting iOS controllers, with the possibility of mapping your own buttons.

Sadly, Nintendo not only refuses to port some of its older games to other platforms, but tries to stop anyone who does this without permission. Riley Testut learned this the hard way, but he’s not the first and he won’t be the last developer of Nintendo emulators. As I said, those who already got the software can still keep it and use it, but there is no way for new users to get their hands on it.

It’s clear that there’s a market for these games on mobile devices, and yet Nintendo does whatever means they’ve got to stop people from playing them. Maybe they’ll come around soon, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen.  We’ll see how this will pan out, and maybe Testut will reach an agreement with the japanese behemoth. The bottom line is that if you got GBA4iOS, try not to delete it.