The launch of the much talked about "Super Mario Run" on iOS had people thinking if more Nintendo games, particularly the original "Super Mario Bros." game, will find its way on iPhones. It turns out there is a way to do so without jailbreaking the device.
Developer Riley Testut has just unveiled the Delta emulator.
The Delta emulator is similar to the GBA4iOS, an iPhone app created by Testut some years back. It was popular then because it allowed iOS users to play Game Boy Advance games without having their phones go through jailbreak.
Then in 2014, Apple figured out how to prevent iOS users to download the app without buying it from the Apple App Store. This led to the death of the emulator.
Delta is not restricted to one device. It can emulate different consoles such as the Super NES, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy Advance.
Having more Nintendo games running on iOS was never the intention according to Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto. He quashed all the talk of bringing Super Mario Bros. and other classic games to the iPhone during an interview with Wired.
"For me, it wouldn't be interesting work to just take the existing Super Mario Bros. game, put it on an iPhone, emulate a plus control pad. That's not very fun creatively. We're more interested i looking at how can be creative with Mario, and design for iPhone in a way that takes advantage of the uniqueness of that device and the uniqueness of that input and the features that that device has."
He also pointed out that bringing NES titles to iOS will not be good in terms of economics. According to Miyamoto, fans would question why the games are not free on iOS and will probably end up not buying and playing them at all. Of course, as BGR explains, Miyamoto may be underestimating the popularity of the NES games.
The Delta emulator is a great way for iPhone users to enjoy retro Nintendo games without having to scramble for a way to get their hands on the rare NES Classic Edition. The delta will be available in early 2017.
