The iPhone’s First Retro Game Emulator Has Been Pulled From the App Store

App Store / Vectors: Canva

Earlier this month, Apple quietly adjusted its Apple Store review guidelines, adding new language specifically states, “retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games,” marking the first time the company has allowed emulators on iOS. Hooray!

It didn’t take long for someone to take advantage of this new allowance: iGBA, a Game Boy emulator, made its debut on the App Store over the weekend, quickly topping the free apps charts. The introductory emulator seemed to play by Apple’s new rules:

As piracy is, obviously, illegal, the app would only run ROMs you downloaded yourself to the Files app on your iPhone. iPhone gamers rejoiced. Then Apple removed the emulator from its marketplace, just days after it launched. iPhone gamers mourned….Story continues…

By: Jake Peterson

Source: The iPhone’s First Retro Game Emulator Has Been Pulled From the App Store | Lifehacker

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Read more:

A new NES emulator was briefly available on the Apple App Store The Verge 01:06 

Fear of Nintendo’s wrath is keeping emulators off of the App Store AppleInsider 00:57 

First Nes emulator for iPhone now available on the App Store BGR 22:54 Tue, 16 Apr 

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store MacRumors 22:06 Tue, 16 Apr 

One of the top PSP emulators on Android could be coming to the App Store Tom’s Guide 21:01 Tue, 16 Apr 

Apple removes approved Game Boy app from App Store My Nintendo News 20:45 Tue, 16 Apr 

Japan takes page from EU playbook with app store antitrust bill Nikkei Asian Review 20:14 Tue, 16 Apr 

Apple removes Game Boy Emulator iGBA from the App Store for being a copycat Hitmarker 18:23 Tue, 16 Apr 

Apple says it is compliant with App Store injunction, judge should reject Epic’s latest objections Complete Music Update 18:19 Tue, 16 Apr 

Messy Game Boy Emulator Ban Highlights App Store Mistakes Life Wire 17:48 Tue, 16 Apr 

Apple shelves GBA emulator from App Store GamesIndustry.biz 17:30 Tue, 16 Apr 

Monday

Apple Boots the First Emulator to Launch on the App Store in a Decade CNET.co.uk 02:07 Tue, 16 Apr 

Emulators suffer first App Store casualty as Apple cans knockoff Game Boy app TechSpot 02:05 Tue, 16 Apr 

Sorry Nintendo fans, Apple says no more Game Boy app on the App Store Quartz 01:04 Tue, 16 Apr 

Drama about emulators on the App Store has only just begun AppleInsider 23:51 Mon, 15 Apr 

Tabitha Brown expands ‘Tab Time’ YouTube series into store, app theGrio 22:55 Mon, 15 Apr 

Apple explains why it removed Game Boy Emulator from iPhone App Store Dexerto.com 21:54 Mon, 15 Apr 

Apple pulls a Game Boy emulator for App Store violations, but says game emulators are allowed TechCrunch 20:59 Mon, 15 Apr 

9to5Mac Daily: April 15, 2024 – Game emulators on the App Store and more 9to5Mac 20:38 Mon, 15 Apr 

Apple Further Explains Why Game Boy Emulator iGBA Was Removed From App Store MacRumors 20:12 Mon, 15 Apr 

Here’s why Apple removed the first Game Boy emulator from the App Store 9to5Mac 19:27 Mon, 15 Apr 

The First Game Emulator in the App Store Is Already Gone How-To Geek 19:16 Mon, 15 Apr 

Apple removes App Store‘s first-ever Game Boy emulator shortly after its debut NotebookCheck.net 18:33 Mon, 15 Apr 

iGBA: First GameBoy Emulator Took iOS by Storm Yet Removed from App Store within 24 Hours The Tech Basic 17:53 Mon, 15 Apr 

iPhone emulator apps have already been pulled from the App Store, and no one’s surprised BGR 15:44 Mon, 15 Apr 

Apple boots popular GameBoy emulator ‘knock-off’ from its iPhone App Store iMore 14:19 Mon, 15 Apr 

Apple’s already removed the first emulator from the App Store Tom’s Guide 13:41 Mon, 15 Apr 

Epic vs Apple continues: The iPhone maker denies violating App Store court order Phone Arena 12:30 Mon, 15 Apr 

iPhone ‘iGBA’ emulator removed from App Store, but we aren’t sure why 9to5Mac 11:49 Mon, 15 Apr 

iPhone gamers, here?s a cool surprise: Game Boy emulator is now available on iOS App Store Hindustan Times 11:31 Mon, 15 Apr 

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Apple Removes Game Boy Emulator iGBA From App Store Due to Spam and Copyright Violations MacRumors 08:00 Mon, 15 Apr 

Sunday

Gaming emulators are now on the App Store after Apple relaxed the rules Mashable 22:58 Sun, 14 Apr 

App Store‘s first emulator looks like it’s an ad-loaded knockoff AppleInsider 21:10 Sun, 14 Apr 

Japan to raise fines for app store monopolies to 20% of sales Nikkei Asian Review 19:50 Sun, 14 Apr 

Game Boy Emulator for iPhone Now Available in App Store Following Rule Change MacRumors 18:37 Sun, 14 Apr 

You can now play Game Boy games on your iPhone after Apple’s App Store changes iMore 17:48 Sun, 14 Apr 

The first gaming emulators are now showing up in the iOS App Store TechRadar 17:04 Sun, 14 Apr 

First iPhone console emulators arrive on App Store Tom’s Guide 16:40 Sun, 14 Apr 

Game Boy Emulator Gets Listed On Apple’s App Store For The iPad And iPhone After The New Rules Enforced Multiple Changes Wccftech 15:54 Sun, 14 Apr 

Game Boy emulator now available on the iPhone following App Store rules change 9to5Mac 12:55 Sun, 14 Apr 

Game emulators arrive in App Store following rule changes AppleInsider 06:23 Sun, 14 Apr