Nintendo patents handheld game emulation on 'low-capability' systems

Nintendo has been awarded a US patent for emulation of handheld video games on other platforms, something that may not impress anyone playing a Game Boy game through the 3DS Virtual Console right now.

Nintendo applied for the patent back in 2003, for technology to emulate a handheld game system (examples given: Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance) on low-powered systems like cell phones and displays in airplane seat backs.

Nintendo may have been exploring options like in-airplane Game Boy games (SNES-based systems were a staple in airplanes for years), but it's much more likely that the company was attempting to get a footing from which to defend its IPs against other, unauthorized emulation.