Ever since the iPhone was officially launched and everyone discovered the amazing capabilities of the system, there has been an eager anticipation for the time when those wonderful third parties would start coming up with ways to play games on the iPhone. Well today your prayers have been answered, although I have to admit it’s still not perfect by any means.
A third-party developer has created an emulator for your iPhone that allows you to play a variety of original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games. That’s right, the system that brought you the glorious beginning of Super Mario Bros.
The list of games available on this “pocket NES” is pretty solid so far, offering classic titles like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Mega Man 2…and that’s just the beginning.
Now, keep in mind that the process to set all this up isn’t exactly easy, and even if you manage to set it up correctly, there are still a few bugs. This is a brand new emulator for a brand new “console”, so it’s bound to be imperfect at this early stage. However, updates are made regularly, and I’ve heard that the Legend of Zelda ROM is almost on par with the original cult classic.
Also, to do all of this, you’ll have to crack your iPhone with a program like Jailbreak… which isn’t something Apple approves or supports, and could very well void your warranty with them. So far I don’t think it is illegalbut it is definitely not encouraged by the company. Do it at your own risk.
But, if you’re willing to take the risk, you could have Mario jumping through those tunnels right on your iPhone. The interface is a little slow right now, but it’s a beauty of a representation of the original. The iPhone’s touch screen system allows for a fully functional and accurate version of the original NES controller. Once all the issues and bugs are resolved, this could become quite popular.