How can GBA4iOS exist outside of Apple’s walled garden? It’s all thanks to a loophole in Apple’s iOS Developer Enterprise Program, which is supposed to let companies easily test their apps among a wide base of users. (As Nintendo notes, it’s illegal to download copies of games from the Internet even if you own the actual cartridge already.) It also provides a link to a certain ROM download site for acquiring games–though it amusingly reminds you that it doesn’t condone piracy. The app works well, has configurable buttons for controller users and allows you to download new skins for the touchscreen controller. If you restart your device, you must dial back the date to February 18 or earlier before running the app again. Return to iOS Settings > General > Date & Time and set the date back to normal.Set the date on your device to Februor earlier.Before opening the app, go to iOS Settings > General > Date & Time.

Select “Install” in the box that pops up. Visit this /download from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, and press the download button.The app is a must-have for classic gaming fans who have no qualms about the legally questionable nature of classic game emulation. Best of all, it works with official iOS controllers, so you can play with a real D-pad and buttons. While GBA4iOS isn’t new, the latest update to version 2.0 has some major enhancements, including Game Boy Color support, iPad optimization and file syncing with Dropbox. It’s a full-blown app that you can easily install from outside of the App Store without jailbreaking your device. This isn’t some wonky, browser-based Game Boy and Game Boy Advance emulator (though we’ve seen one of those pop up recently).

While emulators aren’t explicitly banned, only those with tightly-controlled game selections and appropriate licensing are allowed into the App Store, limiting the selection to older consoles such as Atari and Commodore 64.īut there is one exception to the rule, and it’s called GBA4iOS. Follow Nintendo emulators have long been forbidden for iPhone and iPad users.

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