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NES v3
The Nintendo Emulator for iPhoneOS 3.0


What is NES v3?

NES v3 emulates the hardware in a Nintendo entertainment system, allowing you to play ROM images on your iPhone. NES v3 was a complete rewrite of this popular emulator for iPhoneOS v3.0 (although it should also run on v2.x). There are many public domain, home-brew games available which have been written for the Nintendo platform, and depending on your country of origin, you may be entitled to play images of commercial games which you rightfully own.

The author does not condone the illegal piracy of copyrighted Nintendo games, and provides no support in obtaining or using pirated images.

In order to use NES.app, you will need ROM images of games written for the Nintendo Entertainment System platform. ROM images are files containing the dumped instruction code from a physical cartridge, or compiled code from a public domain / home-brew game. In some cases, and based on your location, you may be legally entitled to posess a ROM image of a game that you presently own. *

Features
  • Multitouch: Use the directional pad + A + B, or other combinations
  • Light Gun "Tap": Tap objects on the screen to shoot them
  • Full Screen: Enlarge your NES picture to the max possible
  • Save State: Save an instant snapshot of your game and come back to it later
  • Game Genie: Use Game Genie cheat codes
  • Landscape and Portrait Modes: Just tilt the iPhone
  • ... and many more

Binary Distributions

You'll only find NES.app in Cydia. To load Cydia onto your iPhone, see the Dev-Team Website.

ROM images go in /var/mobile/Media/ROMs/NES. Be sure the directory is owned by the 'mobile' user so that games can be saved.

CHANGELOG

Is It Legal?

There are many great resources online that summarize case law in the US regarding emulators. I don't attempt to give any legal advice, but the general consensus seems to be that emulators themselves are perfectly legal; this is even backed up by case law such as Colecovision v. Atari and Sony Entertainment v. Bleem, LLC. As long as an emulator doesn't include any code (such as a BIOS) from a console, which is copyrighted, there's nothing illegal about distributing or using an emulator.

The game ROMs, however, are subject to copyright. This means, to many, that you're only entitled to play a game ROM if you own the original NES cartridge (which you can pick up from any used game shop for a buck or less) and dump it yourself (easy to do), if the game has been orphaned by its original authors, or if the game is not copyrighted (e.g. a public domain "home brew" game, to which there are many). It may also be entirely legal to use games you've purchased through the Wii Virtual Console (as the virtual console is also an emulator!). Below is a short list of articles I've found on the subject.

What are emulators and ROMs and are they legal?
WikiAnswers: Are emulators illegal?
Emulation Realm FAQ

DISCLAIMER

I do not condone the piracy of Nintendo games. The author disclaims any liability resulting from the use of this software.

* Check with all applicable laws before using this software. 		 

 All Website Content © Jonathan A. Zdziarski. All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction prohibited without permission