While there is definitely a wide selection of mobile games to choose from, this platform is still missing popular Nintendo titles such as Pokemon or Super Mario. This unfortunate situation might take a turn for the better soon as the company has apparently patented an emulator that will allow GameBoy titles to run on mobile devices and desktops, as well as seat-back displays in trains or airplanes. Similar emulators which allow older console game to be played on the PC have existed for some time now, so this idea is neither new, nor necessarily innovative. However, the said emulators are not exactly legitimate while the one recently patented by Nintendo most certainly is.
The idea definitely sounds appealing for mobile users in particular as old school Pokemon or Super Mario games would look pretty good on the small screens despite their age. The same can not be said about such a game on a PC screen unfortunately. But it’s unlikely that Nintendo is doing this just so it can port some oldies from the GameBoy to smartphones and tablets as such games would likely not be of interest to current mobile gamers. Instead, Nintendo might be thinking of porting newer titles from their collection of great 3DS or Wii U titles, or at least that’s what I’m hoping will happen. Playing those kind of games on a smartphone or tablet on the other hand does seem very appealing indeed.
Assuming that’s the plan, Nintendo could even consider developing new titles for mobile devices after it gets a foothold in the market. This is of course just speculation for now and unfortunately we don’t know very much about the company’s plans at this time. However, we do know that the company is struggling a bit financially right now, so it doesn’t seem too far fetched to think that Nintendo might be turning their gaze toward the mobile gaming market for more revenue, but we’ll just have to wait and see.