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Nintendo nails GBA4iOS with takedown notice
GBA4iOS, the massively popular GameBoy Advance emulator for iPhone and iPad, has been taken offline due to a DMCA request demanding that the hosting site be taken offline. At the moment, the app is no longer available for download from the official site and there's no word on whether it will ever live again. This isn't exactly surprising, given the app's ability to replicate functionality of Nintendo's hardware. For emulation fans, this type of thing isn't new, but it's still a bummer to see such a quality app meet an untimely fate. NDS4iOS, a Nintendo DS emulator with similar functionality, remains available at the time of this writing, though that might not be the case for much longer. Nintendo recently mentioned its intention to explore launching its own apps for "smart devices," so weeding out the emulation crowd may be the first step towards that end.
Nintendo 3DS XL sports less reflective screen than its predecessor, improved parallax effect
Supersized screens may be the centerpiece of Nintendo's 3DS XL, but a new Iwata Asks interview reveals that its top display packs some new anti-glare tech too. Takashi Murakami, from the company's Mechanical Design Group, notes that each of the LCD's three glare-prone layers were specially treated to reduce reflectivity from the original 3DS' 12 percent, down to three. According to head honcho Iwata, anti-reflection coatings have been on the Big N's radar since the GameBoy Advance era, but were typically abandoned because they were too pricey. The Q&A session also confirmed something we noticed when we put the handheld through the review gauntlet -- the larger display increases the parallax effect, which translates to a deeper looking 3D experience. If your current handheld's screen bounces too much light for your liking, the XL can take its place starting August 19th in North America.
PSA: How to un-ugly your GBA games on 3DS
Nintendo Ambassadors now have 10 free Gameboy Advance games on their 3DSes, which is wonderful. Some of these games look like they were thrown onto a freeway during rush hour in Freight-Truck Town, which is not wonderful. The 3DS' screen is 400x240 pixels, while the classic games are set at GBA standards, 240x160 pixels. When loading a GBA title normally, it will stretch out to fill the 3DS screen and look like the elastic on your 30-year-old "lucky" pair of tightie whities -- but never fear, because you can revert the game to its standard size, as provided by 1UP. Launch a GBA title on the 3DS and hold down the select or start button until the boot screen disappears and the game begins -- the playable screen will shrink down to standard GBA size, with black bars filling in the extra space around the smaller area. Think of it as a frame for your nostalgia.
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures coming for free in September
During Nintendo's E3 2011 presser this morning, Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Nintendo DSi owners will be getting a free copy of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures. No, we're not really sure how a GameCube game with GameBoy Advance functionality will end up on Nintendo's DSi, but we imagine it'll have the GameCube game on your top DSi screen while the GBA part of the game shows up on the bottom screen. We'll be sure to ask Nintendo for more details as soon as we can.
GameBoy Advance Phone caught in the wild (by the guy who built it)
Perhaps if there was some sort of Brundlefly-style gadget mix-up five years ago, the outcome would look like this: an HTC Hermes jammed inside a GameBoy Advance housing. This prototype, presented by Windows Phone Hacker, features some fun changes that make it feel more like your beloved handheld gaming console, and less like your dated Windows Mobile Pocket PC, including a startup GIF animation of the original GameBoy Advance boot screen, custom software that keeps the OS in landscape mode, and custom notifications and ringtones from the Mario games. Also included is PocketGBA emulator for playing GameBoy Advance ROMs on the phone itself. Of course, this is just the beginning of the project: we look forward to seeing a version where the buttons work! In the meantime, check out the thing in action after the break. [Thanks, Juan]
TUAW's Daily App: Powder
TUAW's Daily App spotlights one great App Store app, every single weekday. Powder probably isn't the most polished roguelike RPG experience on the App Store (Sword of Fargoal is generally considered to be among the best), but what it lacks in graphical quality, it makes up for in ease-of-use. The genre is sometimes tough to get into, but Powder, originally designed for the Game Boy Advance, uses easy buttons and icons to let you guide your turn-based RPG character through random dungeons, killing monsters, gaining XP, and drinking weird potions of various colors, all while trying to avoid cursed gear. It's still not easy (roguelikes are notoriously ruthless affairs, and permadeath is still the rule), but the controls are surprisingly intuitive, and the included tutorial makes an often steep learning curve much more gentle, even if you're new to the genre. Plus, Powder wins points from me for its flexible save state process; it's very easy to work your way through a dungeon floor, exit out to make a call or do something else on your iPhone, and then dive back in and pick up right where you left off. Best of all, it just recently went free; that makes sense, considering the other versions are free as well. If you still want to support programmer Jeff Lait, you can do so by donating on his Web site. Meanwhile, Powder is a free download in the App Store, and definitely worth checking out.
The Engadget Show: Inside chiptunes and 8-bit visuals
Greetings humans! If you've seen The Engadget Show, then you've been privy to some pretty incredible performances by a group of musicians and artists who eschew familiar instruments in exchange for hacked and modded handheld gaming devices. We grabbed our cameras and got a brief look at the history of the chiptunes movement, the difference between Game Boy music and music from Game Boys, and most importantly, how these artists and visualists make it all happen. Kick back and take a look at the segment (featuring the likes of Glomag, Paris, and Outpt) -- you'll be glad you did! Special guests: Glomag, Paris, and Outpt Produced and Directed by: Chad Mumm Executive Producer: Joshua Fruhlinger Edited by: Michael Slavens Opening titles by: Julien Nantiec Download the Show: The Engadget Show Segment - 005 (HD) / The Engadget Show Segment - 005 (iPod / iPhone / Zune formatted) Subscribe to the Show: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V). [Zune] Subscribe to the Show directly in the Zune Marketplace (M4V). [RSS M4V] Add the Engadget Show feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.
VisualBoyAdvance turns your Palm Pre into a Game Boy emulator
A certain UK bank operates a delightfully dorky advertising campaign whose slogan is "we give you extra." Well, in the case of mobile software communities, that's exactly the case. From jailbroken iPhones to PS One-emulating HD2s to multitouch-enabled browsing on the Nexus One, the one group of people we know we can truly rely on are other geeks. So let's salute those heroes once more, in recognition of the VisualBoyAdvance -- a webOS-based emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance games. The former two categories are said to play smooth as you like, whereas the Advance stuff suffers from slight slowdown at present. We've only seen it playing on a Pre, but there should be no reason why your Pixi wouldn't be allowed in on this party. A quick video demo awaits after the break, and the source link has all the installation details you'll need.
Drip, drip, drip Nintendo Q2 releases
Nintendo released their Q2 games list (found after the jump) in the middle of all the GDC hoopla this week. It's not a "drought" with games like Mario Party 8 and Gamecube's mid-semester transfer Super Paper Mario, but we still aren't seeing the Wii original titles that give the system purpose. It's almost as if the Wii is just two duct-taped Gamecubes with gimmicky controls and no real purpose -- nahhhhhhhhh.On the other hand, the DS is getting more Pokemon with Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl. We're expecting commercials featuring Prince and the New Power Generation singing Diamonds and Pearls. And honestly, isn't Pokemon all Nintendo really needs?
PSP getting ports from new sources
It's no secret that the PSP (as with any system) gets ports of games from other consoles. Most of the ports to PSP logically come from the PlayStation 2. But all that is starting to change. With the PS3 on the rise and the PS2 on the decline, PSP is starting to get ports from some unexpected places. The DS has many a game that it's shared with the GBA, but recently it seems like more and more GBA games are jumping over to Sony's portable. The most obvious of these are all of the recently announced Final Fantasy projects. From Final Fantasy Tactics to just plain ol' Final Fantasy, these GBA remakes are being remade again for the PSP. But it doesn't just end there, the PSP will also see a port of the GBA RPG title Riviera (which is great for me, since I never played that game). Of course, while it seems like quite a few PSP games are from GBA land, that isn't the only system sending off titles to PSP's library. Xbox games like Xyanide and Painkiller: Hell Wars are reported to have versions coming out this year for PSP and the DS racer Asphalt Urban GT 2 will be out shortly. Even the PC isn't exempt as fantastic physics platformer Gish has a release date for our system of choice. The future though seems to be the Wii and PSP connection. While Alien Syndrome is one of the only Wii/PSP games announced so far, the fact that Wii games have to be developed independently from the rest of the home consoles means many developers may be looking to PSP versions as another source of profit. Of course as with any business move, these ports will have to make money if this is to become a serious trend.
Have GBA, will travel
Here's one from the just plain unusual file: one intrepid family has decided to turn traveling around the world into a photo project starring the GBA. Rather, a young boy playing a GBA, hence the pun in the name of the set at Flickr -- "Game Boy Around the World." Ah, Game Boy-spotting, Game Boys in the wild, Game Boys gone wild -- the humor potential here is almost frightening in its vastness. Too bad the photos are actually good; we'd much prefer to crack jokes, but we're too busy goggling at all the wonders. We just hope the kid featured in the pictures took some time to look around as well ... after all, this project is funny because it's true.[Via Joystiq]
Final Fantasy V screens = brainwashing
Final Fantasy. How is it that this series keeps popping up this fall? Are Square and Nintendo trying to kill us with FF propaganda and brainwash us so that we will never play another RPG, nor will we want to? We think the answer is yes. And to prove our point, here are some more Final Fantasy V Advance screens to continue the brainwashing. After all, it has already taken affect on us, if you couldn't already tell.
New Lara Legend screens for Nintendo platforms
Lara Croft's long-awaited return to Nintendo hardware is on target for November when Tomb Raider Legend ships for the GameCube, GameBoy Advance, and DS. Pro-G has posted new screens for each platform.The GBA and DS versions will present a side-scrolling derivative of the Legend adventure, but the DS includes a touch screen menu that allows you to switch Lara's weapons and various items around (no touching Lara, please).Read Joystiq's review on the Xbox 360 version of Legend, and check out what other industry critics had to say about the PC, PlayStation 2, and Xbox versions of the game.See also: Lara's lovely ladies revisted Angelina Jolie to star in next Tomb Raider film? Lara Croft lands in Guinness Book of World Records
Pokemon release dates for Europe
Europe! Now is the time to yell Huzzah! for you have Pokemon release dates! We all know that you poor gamers are usually the last to get, well, anything, but we can try to brighten your day with release dates for Pokemon. Ends up, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team is headed your way November 10th. To add more glory to that day, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue team is also being released November 10th for GameBoy Advance. Pokemon -- its what makes the world go 'round. [Via Go Nintendo]
