Nokia shows off SNES on N900, quickly thinks better of it

A little bit of emulation is a basic rite of passage for a modern day device that allows open software development, and the N900 is no different. We first saw the device rocking some SNES way back in September, but apparently Nokia couldn't pass up an opportunity to demonstrate the phone's prowess and put up its own video of a few emulators in action. Unfortunately, while emulators are completely legal, the ROMs that run on them are rarely legit, and despite Nokia's odd assertion in the video that "most publishers allow individual title usage provided that the user is in possession of the original title," the phone giant has since pulled the video from the internets, and Nintendo is reportedly looking into the matter. Of course, N900 emulatin' is still easy to come by from third parties -- check one out after the break.

[Thanks, Nirvan]

[Fir3lord Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:06PM]

nice

[spartandre217 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:07PM]

try to do THAT on ur iphone!!

[Henben248 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:12PM]

@spartandre217

.... you can.

[spartandre217 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:14PM]

@Henben248
can you really??
I know the jailbroken iphone is capable of even psx emulation but does it do tv out, emulation and is controlled by a wiimote at the same time?

[cge10 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:28PM]

@spartandre217 not sure but i know playing gba is awesome on it, there is also other ones too, but i like how u have a keyboard it makes live so much easier, i think people should stop buying ipods and iphones until they start listening to people's requests, like drag and drop

[dany74q Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:28PM]

@spartandre217
Actually,it is possible.
The iPhone (and all general Apple products) have an original TV out cable,that does not come with the device itself.
There are plenty of emulators,and the iPhone has just the right hardware to emulate such thing as games.
About wii remote-I think the wii remote works on infra-red,which I`m pretty sure you can add to your iPhone by external accessories.
If there is such a remote with a Bluetooth connection-very possible,it is just a piece of hardware that to work needs to be manipulated in code.

So yes,it is possible.

[spartandre217 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:34PM]

@dany74q
ive yet to see it done...so pardon my skepticism....regardless....im hoping that maemo 6 is a beast of a platform...been looking forward to getting a decent nokia since my 5800 started b!tc#!ng around lol

[SolidSnake Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:38PM]

@spartandre217
There are apps in Cydia (TvOut) that enable output to an external source in any app. All that is needed is for someone to write code so a Wiimote can be used. And why does this need to be compared to the iPhone?
The N900 has much better hardware but software that is early in development.
Geez, find something better to troll about....

[uShak Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:40PM]

@dany74q

Wii Remote works on bluetooth, just needs to be programmed to work on a device like the N900, iPhone, computer, or whatever device.

Jailbroken iPhones are pretty capable machines, but games like this really need physical buttons.

[spartandre217 Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:46PM]

@SolidSnake
my intention was not to troll...however...i decided to be a bit preemptive as any article on a nokia made device usually attracts a few basement dwellers...sorry if it was interpreted as trolling :-P

[Broderbund Posted Nov 28th 2009 5:03PM]

@dany74q Before you make the iPhone sound better than it is, no it is in fact not possible. Wiimotes do use infrared but for screen pointing only, buttons and accelerometer information is sent over bluetooth which is crippled to the point of uselessness on the iPhone. (seriously have you ever heard of anyone using iphone bluetooth for anything except a bt headset?)

[Millah Posted Nov 28th 2009 5:15PM]

@spartandre217 Wow, sounds like someone is desperate to say ANY possible negatives they can about a certain phone.

[elamre Posted Nov 28th 2009 5:55PM]

@dany74q

and if u guys would google some moar, you'll have found out that you can connect ur wiimote to teh ipod -.-
cannot do very much atm, but you can turn it! :3

[spartandre217 Posted Nov 28th 2009 5:56PM]

@(Unverified)
have a lot better to do than talk to fools abt a pile of tard :-)

jk

[Tsarbomb Posted Nov 28th 2009 8:36PM]

I just really want super mario on my iphone :(

[lakeside00 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:09PM]

Jealousy ensues

[fischju Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:10PM]

It has an OMAP3530, so we may see N64 and Dreamcast emulators that are being developed on the Beagleboard and Pandora.

[spartandre217 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:15PM]

@fischju
i thought it was an omap 3430

[fischju Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:25PM]

@spartandre217 So it is. The only difference is that the 3430 has cellular connectivity options, everything else is the same as far as I know. Applications should be cross compatible.

[spartandre217 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:33PM]

@fischju
the cortex a8 based platforms are pretty compatible withone another the differences arise with things like dsp processors and the gpu

[ale Posted Nov 28th 2009 6:07PM]

@fischju

I wish, but is that really possible? I could see it being like PSX emulators but with SUPER LOW framerate
I can't even believe my eyes at samsung omnias i900s with PSX emus at 60 fps

[fischju Posted Nov 28th 2009 6:28PM]

@ale PSX already runs flawlessly on the Pandora and Beagleboard, N64 is WIP with some games playable, and the NullDC guys are working on the Dreamcast emulator. Dreamcast video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o4y9k0s_Xc (from months ago, can't find the newest) and N64: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_EXdG5x7j0

[spartandre217 Posted Nov 28th 2009 6:53PM]

@ale
if the omnia i900 can run psx at 60 fps then there is nothing to stop the n900 from doing the same...
compare the two chipsets and ull see the n900 is probably the more powerful...

[max3000 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:11PM]

I've had SNES/GBA/Genesis emulation on my Symbian S60 for a couple of years now so I'm unimpressed. (disregard that symbian isn't the best OS to say the least). Now winmbo phones have decent PSX emulation. That's pretty impressive.

[TareG Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:04PM]

@(Unverified)

Exactly.... I too have had flawless SNES GBA and GENESIS emulation on my 200mhz E65 for more than 3 years now...

[CJ Posted Nov 29th 2009 12:45AM]

@(Unverified)

As did I on my N95.

But the difference is that I didn't have a program to control it with a WiiMote.

If you think about it, this is fantastic. Wiimotes are reasonably small, and the TV-out cable is pocketable enough. Can you imagine having a portable SNES/NES/GAMEBOY/N64/PS (theoretically for the last two) that you will literally carry EVERYWHERE you go? It's your phone, so you WILL carry it almost everywhere - I know I carry mine.

Okay, so there is less WOW factor than say, one of Ben Heck's portable SNES mods, but what you lose in coolth, you gain in practicality.

[Extinction Posted Nov 29th 2009 3:32AM]

@CJ "Can you imagine having a portable SNES/NES/GAMEBOY/N64/PS (theoretically for the last two) that you will literally carry EVERYWHERE you go?"

I have that on my PSP with tv out

[CJ Posted Nov 29th 2009 5:08AM]

@(Unverified)

As do I, on my PSP

However, I don't carry around my PSP everywhere I go, I do carry my phone.

[Kang Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:12PM]

That's just amazing! Playing the classic Final Fantasy games and Chrono Tirgger would be perfect!

[B3astofthe3ast Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:14PM]

Love the baby in the back, and how he stopped the video for it lol.

[tastypotato Posted Nov 28th 2009 9:02PM]

@B3astofthe3ast
I know! How selfish of a baby! Wanting attention when daddy is doing VERY important things. :P

[Dusty Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:16PM]

Right on!

[Dking7 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:17PM]

in beginning I though it is like droid, because of red flashing from camera

[Dusty Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:19PM]

I cannot edit my previous comment but for some reason I recall this being posted on Engadget a while back...

[p0p0 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:49PM]

@Dusty

They mentioned the emulator being shown in september. Reading is good.

[Drybones5 Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:23PM]

Okay, I've got to admit, this is really cool with the addition of the Wiimote connection and the TV output.

It just made me want the Nokia N900 even more with it's Firefox mobile and awesomeness

[thethirdmoose Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:28PM]

Nice. I've played around with emulation on Android, but it's just not the same as a real console since the buttons are so much worse. The Wiimote should fix that, though.

[MoonWalkerCTE Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:38PM]

WHY DID ENGADGET REPOST THIS? THEY HAVE ALREADY POSTED THIS A LONG TIME AGO...

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/30/video-snes-runs-beautifully-on-n900-makes-out-hearts-flutter/

[Triscuit Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:55PM]

@MoonWalkerCTE Maybe because this is a different story entirely? Remember children, reading is your friend.

[Malkmus Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:08PM]

@MoonWalkerCTE
WHY DON'T YOU READ BOTH ARTICLES AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF...

[MoonWalkerCTE Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:21PM]

@Malkmus

I did idiot and secondly they reused the old video giving many people the first impression. Only when I read their source I was able to clearly understand the difference.

[MoonWalkerCTE Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:26PM]

@MoonWalkerCTE

I know Im going to get downranked so please stop repeating my mistake. Just let me be downranked in silently and drown in my own stupidity.

Thanks

[Malkmus Posted Nov 28th 2009 5:15PM]

@MoonWalkerCTE

Wow, I would let this thread die a quick, painful death, but you decided to call ME an idiot and try to to imply that the article is misleading when it's obvious you made a snap judgement based on seeing the same video in both articles. To reiterate, all you had to do was read either the article or the headline to know they were different.

[MoonWalkerCTE Posted Nov 29th 2009 6:25AM]

@Malkmus

They are not going to name the headlines the same name if they don't know they have already posted it and also the fact that it is written by different writers...

[lookseehear Posted Nov 28th 2009 3:38PM]

there's not an app for that.

[SolidSnake Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:39PM]

@lookseehear
Nes4iphone?
You learn everyday..

[r3loaded Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:44PM]

@SolidSnake I assume he meant app as in an app on the official app store, due to his slogan reference.

[lookseehear Posted Nov 28th 2009 4:54PM]

@SolidSnake jailbroken doesn't count.

[lookseehear Posted Nov 28th 2009 5:11PM]

@lookseehear plus physical keyboard > touchscreen buttons any day of the week for something like this.

[Malkmus Posted Nov 28th 2009 5:21PM]

@lookseehear

Well thanks to Nokia's bonehead move, all things Nintendo have been removed from the Maemo repositories, so for the time being there ain't an app for that on the N900 either.