ZodTTD
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Android Market's most popular emulators disappear without a trace (update)
If you're an Android gamer, chances are you've heard of Nesoid, Snesoid, Gensoid, N64oid, Ataroid, Gearoid and Gameboid: they're all video game console emulators developed by yongzh, and many ranked among the most popular paid apps on the Android Market. This week, they've got something else in common, too -- they've all been abruptly removed. Following a complaint from Sega, two emulators were nixed late last month, but we're hearing that Google has since revoked yongzh's developer privileges, just like PSX4Droid comrade-in-arms ZodTTD. We're currently reaching out to both yongzh and Google for comment, and hope to hear back soon, but it's looking like a bleak week for the emulation community. Update: We got in touch with yongzh (or Yong Zhang, as he's known in real life) to discuss the matter, and he confirms that his developer account has been removed and his apps pulled without warning -- cutting off his primary source of income and leaving him with an inbox stuffed with worried email from customers. He has, however, already migrated a number of emulators to third-party app store SlideME, where they'll be free for a while, allowing existing customers to get updates without paying a second time, and likely helping a number of new individuals to mooch off his troubles. He's not too optimistic about his prospects at SlideME, though.
PlayStation emulator for Android goes free and open source
PSX4Droid, the PSOne emulator for Android that got the smackdown from Google recently, has found a surefire way of getting around the ban: Go free and open source. The latest version of the software does just that, skipping out on Google's market completely and putting both the app and the source code online for anyone to download and check out. Developer "ZodTTD" says that the original Sony complaint only had to do with a trademarked logo that had snuck into the app's icon, but since then, Google has closed both his Android Market and CheckOut accounts, leaving him unable to publish any apps. As a result, he's self-publishing PSX4Droid, and will be exploring other third-party markets to sell the app in. In the meantime, you can go enjoy the new version, which adds better compatibility and performance, though save files from the previous version will no longer work.
ZodTTD makes PSX4Droid 3.0 free, claims Google booted him from Android Market
It's been one week since Google pulled the PSX4Droid emulator from the Android Market without warning, and today its lead developer has decided to take a stand -- ZodTTD's made a new version of the app free of charge, and is hosting it at his personal website as a downloadable APK. He now claims that not only did Google pull his app, the company has frozen his developer accounts, effectively restricting his ability to publish to (and profit from) the Android Market until this gets sorted out. We can't confirm his story at this point -- and we hear things may not be quite as cut-and-dried as he claims -- but we can tell you that if you happen to have a legally-obtained PlayStation BIOS and ROMs sitting around, you're only a few clicks away from being able to use them on your Android phone. Not a bad deal, eh? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Android PlayStation emulator PSX4Droid pulled from Market, timing pointing at Xperia Play (updated)
Uh oh, the day has finally come. We just gathered from Joystiq (and confirmed ourselves) that the renowned Android first-gen PlayStation emulator, PSX4Droid, has been pulled from the Market. The reason? Its author, ZodTTD, said Google informed him that it was a matter of "Content Policy violation," however the fact it's taken eight months for Google to take action suggests it might have a little something to do with the imminent launch of the Xperia Play, which will have its own mechanism to power the original PlayStation's games. Another mystery is that it looks like other emulators such as SNesoid (SNES), GameBoid (Game Boy) and, in particular, FPSe (PlayStation) appear to be safe for now, which might suggest that there are other reasons behind this removal; but still, the timing suggests otherwise. On the bright side, we can always rely on third-party app markets. Update: Here's a super generic statement we just received from Google regarding this matter: "We remove apps from Android Market that violate our policies."
PSX4Droid brings spiky-haired protagonists to your Googlephone (video)
The HTC HD2 did it, and so did the iPhone 3GS (assuming you jailbroke), but now you can get your blocky amnesiac ex-SOLDIER action on Android courtesy of ZodTTD and yongzh. Their PSX4Droid app just launched on the Android Market for $5.99, and -- despite a few glitches -- it emulates PlayStation games like a charm, complete with multiple scaling modes and save states. Watch a Galaxy S rock the likes of Final Fantasy VII and Ridge Racer after the break, plus Crash Bandicoot on a Nexus One and some paired Wiimote action with a Dell Streak. Then, challenge yourself to adhere to intellectual property law instead of immediately hunting down ROMs and a BIOS file. We dare you. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
PlayStation emulator coming to Android, courtesy of yongzh and ZodTTD
If you don't know the names yongzh and ZodTTD, you can certainly be forgiven, but they're basically the cell phone emulation dream team -- where the former has been cranking out high-quality Nintendo and Sega emulators for Android, the latter is the one who brought PSX to iPhone, iPhone 3GS and the Palm Pre. Today, we hear they're collaborating on a PSX emulator for Android that's running faster than the 3GS version -- before Froyo's even factored into the equation -- and that when his domination over the PSX is complete, ZodTTD intends to begin work on an Nintendo 64 emulator for Android, and then VLC. Without letting our enthusiasm get the better of us, let's just say it's an exciting time to be an Android owner, to say the least.
SNES Mario Kart power slides onto (non-jailbroken) iPad? (Update)
You're looking at Super Mario Kart, running on the Apple iPad, courtesy of emulation guru ZodTTD. When do you get to play it, faithful reader? Hard to tell. If, say, the iPad had already been jailbroken, all you'd need to do is wait for a suitably safe jailbreak method, download RockApp or Cydia, grab the snes4iphone emulator you see running above, and fire up the ROM. However, the intriguing thing about the above video is not that it's running an SNES game -- but that ZodTTD claims he compiled a special version of his snes4iphone emulator "specifically for non-jailbroken iDevices." Since Zod is almost certainly an official developer, it's possible he output the emulator as an .ipa file and is testing it on a fresh iPad using Apple developer tools, but if we're lucky, it could instead mean that someone has finally found a way to sideload apps onto a stock Apple device. Either way, peep multitouch karts sliding and shells flying on video, right after the break. Update: ZodTTD tells us that while he does have access to the jailbreak, he did have to flex developer muscle (and official dev tools) to make snes4iphone work on a non-jailbroken iPad. He says: The build of snes4iphone running on my iPad as seen in the video was actually based on an AppStore app I submitted called "snesty". Apple quickly rejected it right after pulling the NES emulator. I combined snesty with some snes4iphone features such as using the private API called CoreSurface. I used Apple developer tools and self signed it. Zod says that after Apple officially releases iPhone OS 4.0 and the existing jailbreak is distributed freely, he plans to create new versions of his emulators that run at the iPad's 1024 x 768 native resolution and support touchscreen controls, hardware keyboards and even external controllers should they come.
Somewhat playable N64 emulator released for jailbroken iPhones
Mobile emulation expert ZodTTD's newest project, a Nintendo 64 emulator for jailbroken iPhones, has been released -- and just in time for the holidays, too, allowing you to recreate that one video with those screaming, flailing children. With a miniscule $2.50 price tag and bluetooth support, which allows you to control the emulator with a Wii remote, it would be a pretty great deal. If, you know, it didn't run at a handful of frames per second. Check out the video after the jump to see the emulator in action, and to decide whether the double-thick molasses-slow gameplay is still worth the price of admission. [Via Gizmodo]
Latest iControlPad prototype bulks up, gets handled on video
It's been a while since we last got an update from ZodTTD on his iControlPad iPhone controller accessory, but this latest prototype looks like it was worth the wait. The controls have been moved from the sides of the phone to a more comfortable-seeming bottom placement with dual analog sticks and rear-mounted triggers, and the whole thing's gotten bigger and badder -- there's even an internal battery for charging your phone as you play. ZodTTD says actual shipping hardware is coming soon -- just make sure you change that default root password if you decide to jailbreak and grab one, mkay? P.S.- ZodTTD says another video featuring psx4iphone and a "pretty sweet Wipeout XL demo" is coming shortly on his YouTube channel, we'll keep you updated.
The Pre gets PlayStation gaming and more thanks to ZodTTD (video)
If you're familiar with the emulation scene (and let's be honest, you are reading Engadget), then you know the name ZodTTD -- the brain behind some of the best jailbroken emus for the iPhone, including variations on the PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, and most importantly... the TurboGrafx-16. Now the master-hacker has brought his goods to the Pre, cooking up a version of psx4all on the Palm device, with the aforementioned GBA and TG16 ports on the way! Interestingly, he reports that the performance on the Pre is actually better than that of the iPhone 3GS, and of course he's hacked access to the keyboard, allowing for (more) proper control of games. There are still kinks that are being worked out (sound emulation, screen scaling, etc.), but it looks like we can expect big things in the near future. We at Engadget know everyone will rest a bit easier tonight knowing that real gaming on the Pre is at hand. We'll hopefully be getting our hands on a version soon, but for now hit the read link for more info, and check out the full video after the break!
Video: Working iControlPad adds buttons to the iPod touch
It's pretty wild to have seen the iControlPad go from idea to concept to production, and here's the final step straight from Engadget: video of the device working just as planned. ZodTTD is playing quake4iphone on it, and while the naysayers will probably still have some nays to say, I'm convinced. If Apple is as serious as it seems about turning the iPhone and the iPod touch into serious gaming devices, it would be worth selling something like this as an official accessory. It's fine and good to say that the multitouch screen works even for traditional controls, but so far, we haven't seen a developer that's been able to put "buttons" on the screen and still be able to make worthwhile use of screen space.As Engadget says, there's still no price or release date on the iControlPad, and given that it's working on jailbroken games right now, there's no sign yet that we'll have any official App Store support. But it's an idea for which the time, in my humble opinion, has come.
iControlPad gamepad frags demons on camera
While the iControlPad still isn't available for mass consumption, homebrew developer ZodTTD has released a video of him using it to play quake4iphone. Hard to tell just how well the gamepad works, but it's gotta be a helluva lot easier than blocking the screen with your greasy digits. Last we heard it had gone into production, but still no word on price or release date. Video embedded after the break.
TurboGrafx-16 emulation hits the iPhone
Finally, the ultimate dream of all iPhone owners has come to pass: TurboGrafx-16 emulation. Thanks once again to the massive talents at ZodTTD, Apple's phone has gotten another piece of the emulator puzzle in the form of Temper4iphone, a fully functioning recreation of everyone's favorite under-performing game console. The app can play both TurboGrafx and PC-Engine games, as well as CD-based ROMs. Right now the software is only available to beta testers (and donation-makers), though it's expected to hit wide release soon. Check the video after the break and see for yourself.[Via Joystiq]
temper4iPhone emulates Turbografx-16 on the iPhone
The guys at Touch Arcade are at it again -- this time, ZodTTD has ported temper, a TurboGrafx-16 emulator, to the iPhone, and as you can see above, this means something amazing: Bonk on the touchscreen. Sounds like the audio has a few little glitches, but seems like the controls and graphics are working as well as could be asked -- even in the slower Landscape mode (with the controls overlaid on the graphics), he says it was pulling about 50FPS.There's even an emulator for the TurboGrafx-16 CD PC Engine, as long as you do a little tweaking (and nab the bios from somewhere that may or may not be legal -- same for the ROMs). temper4iPhone is still in beta, and just like all of these other emulators and jailbreak apps, we have no clue at all whether we'll ever get the chance to see them on the (rapidly approaching) App Store. Still, it's awesome to see -- we've definitely come a long way from the NES emulator way back when.[Via MacBytes.com]
PlayStation emulation coming to iPhone via psx4iphone
Those of you who have already loaded up like 1,000 NES ROMs on your iPhone will be excited to learn that an even more powerful emulator is on the horizon, this one for the original PlayStation. Called psx4iphone, and currently in pre-beta, the software is being developed by ZodTTD, the same programmer responsible for the gpSPhone GameBoy Advance emulator for the iPhone and iPod touch. According to ZodTTD, if enough people donate, the program could be out within days, complete with sound implementation and memory card support, along with compatibility for a claimed 75% of titles. Still, we've played with the DualShock a time or two before, and considering how difficult FPSEce playback is on Windows Mobile devices with full QWERTY keyboards, we're not sure how well all those buttons, triggers, D-pads, and analog sticks will translate to the touchscreen experience.[Via pspsps]
